After the major earthquake in Morocco, people in the disaster areas spent the second night in uncertainty and mourning for the victims. According to authorities, the number of deaths has now risen to 2012. At least 2,059 other people were injured, more than half of them seriously, Moroccan media report. King Mohammed VI declared three days of national mourning. According to current knowledge, no Austrians were injured, the Foreign Ministry said. The federal army stands ready to provide assistance if necessary.
The Foreign Ministry said around 60 people from Austria are currently registered for travel. There are currently approximately 215 Austrians abroad in Morocco. “They were contacted by text message and email that evening and are currently being called by the embassy,” a spokeswoman said.
Ministry: ‘There are enough flights to get to Austria’
In this context, the ministry also referred to the on-call service (+43 90115 4411), which is available 24 hours a day. Marrakech airport is currently functioning normally and there are enough flights to return to Austria, the Foreign Ministry said.
Nehammer: “Austria will help at any time”
Chancellor Karl Nehammer, Minister of the Interior Gerhard Karner and Minister of Defense Klaudia Tanner (all ÖVP) expressed their dissatisfaction about the earthquake in a joint statement. “These types of disasters require international solidarity and support. “Austria will help at any time where help is needed in Morocco’s disaster areas,” Nehammer said. “The Ministry of the Interior and Defense is currently taking all precautions to provide support as soon as a corresponding request arises,” Nehammer said.
Tanner: “The federal army is ready at any time”
The army’s disaster response unit, the Austrian Forces Disaster Relief Unit (AFDRU), is ready at any time, Tanner emphasizes. An AFDRU contingent of the federal army was recently deployed following the devastating earthquake in southern Turkey in early February.
Morocco has not yet officially requested support
Despite numerous offers of help from around the world, the country’s government has not yet officially requested any support. This step is necessary before foreign rescue workers can be deployed. Nevertheless, emergency services from aid organizations are ready for a possible flight to the disaster area.
The EU heads of state and government also offered their help and expressed their condolences in a letter to the king. “As close friends and partners of Morocco, we stand ready to assist you in any way you deem useful,” the letter said.
Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen expressed his condolences on X (formerly Twitter) to the relatives of the earthquake victims. “Austria also stands in solidarity with many other countries and will provide all possible support,” the president promised.
WHO: 300,00 people affected by earthquake
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 300,000 people in Marrakech and surrounding areas have been affected by the disaster. Local rescue workers, together with soldiers, continued to search for survivors among the rubble. “My wife, children and I tried to leave the house, but my young daughter and my father, who is 102, stayed. I tried to go back to get them out, but in vain my father and daughter died there,” a survivor in the town of Imintanoout told the news site Hespress.
Strength 6.8
The epicenter was more than 70 kilometers southwest of Marrakesh in the Atlas Mountains. There are towns along steep and winding winding roads. Because earthquakes are relatively rare in North Africa, experts believe that buildings are not built robust enough to withstand such strong shocks. The magnitude 6.8 earthquake caused panic late Friday evening.
Source: Krone
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