The toll in the Morocco earthquake has risen to 2,862 and more than with 2,500 have been injured, Reuters reported on Tuesday.
The earthquake of magnitude 6.8 on the Richter Scale had hit the North African country late on Friday night. The epicentre of the earthquake was the High Atlas mountain, located 72 kilometres southwest of the city of Marrakesh.
This was Morocco’s deadliest earthquake in over 60 years. In 1960, an earthquake in the western part of the country was estimated to have left at least 12,000 people dead.
Equipment to lift heavy debris have not yet reached some of the affected areas as roads have been blocked by boulders, reported the BBC. The Moroccan government has received aid from four countries so far – Britain, Spain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Even as search and rescue operations are underway, the window to find people alive beneath the rubble is increasingly closing.
According to rescue workers the chances of finding more survivors under the debris were slim as buildings made of clay brick disintegrated almost entirely as they collapsed and buried whoever was inside without leaving any air space, reported The Guardian.
The earthquake has also damaged some heritage buildings in Marrakesh. The historically significant Tinmel Mosque, which was built in the 12th century and is a UNESCO world heritage site, has been damaged.
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