Hafida Sahraouia surveys the rubble after an earthquake rocked the historic Jewish quarter, part of the old city of Marrakesh, Morocco’s tourist hub.
“The city was like a bomb hit,” he told AFP on Saturday (9/9), after a 6.8 magnitude earthquake tore through the African country on Friday (8/9). The earthquake was centered southwest of Marrakesh and claimed thousands of lives.
Sahraouia’s own house was reduced to rubble, he said, amid narrow streets littered with fragments of wooden roofs and other debris from collapsed buildings in the centuries-old area.
“We were preparing dinner when we heard something like an explosion. Panicking, I immediately went out with my children. “Unfortunately our house collapsed,” said 50-year-old Sahraouia.
Damage after the devastating earthquake in Amizmiz, Morocco, September 9 2023. (Photo: REUTERS/Abdelhak Balhaki)
He and his family fled to a large field on the edge of the district, and now face an uncertain future.
“We lost everything,” he said.
A neighbor, Mbarka El Ghabar, also saw his house destroyed by the strongest earthquake in Morocco’s history.
The old city, or medina, of Marrakesh is on the World Heritage list of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). This tourist spot has succeeded in attracting tourists, thus supporting around seven percent of Morocco’s economy.
“We were asleep when the earthquake happened. Part of the roof collapsed and we were trapped inside, but my husband and I managed to escape,” Ghabar said after the “nightmare” incident.
For others, the loss is even more painful.
Fatiha Aboualchouak said her four-year-old nephew was among the more than 1,000 people killed.
“I don’t have the strength to speak,” said Aboualchouak, in his 30s, with a weak voice. (ah/ft)