In a heart-wrenching tragedy, Morocco experienced its most catastrophic earthquake in over six decades, leaving behind a trail of devastation, loss of lives, and survivors grappling with the harsh reality of starting anew.
The earthquake, a formidable 6.8-magnitude tremor, struck on September 8, sending shockwaves through the village of Tikht, situated just a few kilometers from the epicenter in the Atlas Mountains, as reported by AFP.
One of the heartbreaking casualties of this disaster was a young woman named Mina Ait Bihi. She was on a phone call with her fiancé, Omar Ait Mbarek, when the earth trembled beneath her feet. Tragically, Omar witnessed the horrifying scene as Mina was unearthed from the rubble, still clutching her phone, before being tenderly carried to a makeshift cemetery that had already become the final resting place for 68 others by September 10. Overwhelmed by grief, Omar could only utter, “What do you want me to say? I’m wounded,” as he held his beloved’s dust-covered phone and whispered, “I will rebuild my house.”
Once a vibrant community, Tikht now lies in ruins, its streets marred by a chaotic jumble of timbers, masonry debris, shattered plates, abandoned shoes, and remnants of once-treasured intricately patterned rugs. The village had predominantly featured traditional construction, blending stone, timber, and a mud-based mortar.
Mohssin Aksum, a 33-year-old survivor with family ties to the small settlement, lamented, “Life is finished here,” adding, “The village is dead.” He pointed to the heartbreaking loss of livestock, now buried and decaying beneath the wreckage, emphasizing that the earthquake had left the residents with less than nothing.
For 23-year-old Abdelrahman Edjal, a student who tragically lost most of his family in the disaster, the earthquake was a catastrophe that no one in the village had ever contemplated. On the fateful evening, as he took a leisurely post-dinner stroll, the earth’s violent tremors began. He witnessed the desperate attempts of people trying to escape their collapsing homes. In a poignant moment of heroism, he managed to rescue his father from the ruins of their family house. However, his father’s injuries proved fatal, and he passed away with his son by his side.
The aftermath of the earthquake saw the emergence of yellow tents for emergency housing along the road into the town. Government civil protection service personnel swiftly mobilized, unloading camp beds from military-style trucks and erecting them near the tents. Non-profit organizations also played a crucial role, conducting assessments of the remaining villagers’ needs in places like Tikht, which extended beyond basic necessities like shelter, food, and water. Many survivors were still in a state of shock, struggling to come to terms with the enormity of the disaster.