Translation Google
Morocco: why the earthquake toll is so high and why it risks getting higher
The earthquake, measuring 7 on the Richter scale, killed nearly 2,500 people. But many victims are still trapped under the rubble.
Article written by franceinfo with AFP
France Televisions
Publishedon 09/11/2023 12:00
Update on 09/11/2023 12:37
It is an apocalyptic landscape. In the villages of Al-Haouz province, the epicenter of the earthquake that shook Morocco on Friday September 8, rescuers, volunteers and members of the armed forces are working to find survivors and extract bodies from the rubble. The earthquake left 2,497 dead and 2,476 injured, according to figures published Monday by the Moroccan Interior Ministry. An assessment likely to worsen as research continues. Franceinfo explains to you why this earthquake was so devastating.
...
Because it is the most powerful earthquake to have ever been measured in Morocco
The earthquake was magnitude 7, according to the Moroccan Center for Scientific and Technical Research (6.8 according to the American Seismological Service). It is the most powerful to have ever been measured in Morocco. The Agadir earthquake , which caused between 12,000 and 15,000 deaths in February 1960, on the west coast of the country, was of magnitude 5.8, according to the American seismological service .
“This area is not used to experiencing such powerful earthquakes , ” Florent Brenguier, seismologist at the Institute of Earth Sciences at the University of Grenoble, explains to franceinfo . In Morocco, "the vast majority of earthquakes occurred rather 500 km north of this zone, at the interface between the African and European plates" , he specifies. It was therefore impossible for the Moroccan geological services to predict an earthquake of such magnitude in this area, adds the specialist.
The epicenter was spotted 70 km south of Marrakech, in the mountainous region of the High Atlas, an area at risk of overlapping faults . “If you go from 5.8 to 6.8 [magnitude], the energy is multiplied by 30,” underlines Yann Klinger, research director at the Institute of Globe Physics in Paris, to France Télévisions. The less deep the earthquake, the more devastating it is. The depth of this has been measured at 10 to 20 km underground, which is relatively shallow.
Because it happened at a time when people were at home
The earthquake struck shortly after 11 p.m., and most residents were at home, either in bed or about to do so. “The people were inside the houses, which explains the very heavy toll ,” noted Eric Zipper, president of the NGO World Rescue Corps, to franceinfo .
In the village of Azro, 40 km south of Marrakech, the town was destroyed but the human toll was less heavy than in other localities. According to a resident, Sarah, 19, this is because most of the residents were still awake : "It 's like a family here. At the time of the earthquake, many of us were not yet asleep and were still outside, together " , she recalls for franceinfo .
Because in the affected areas, the infrastructure was fragile
In Azro, as in most of the villages affected by the earthquake, the buildings did not resist the powerful tremors. “People are poor here. They built houses with stones and earth ,” explains Mustapha, a resident of Azro. “The epicenter is in the mountains, at the edge of the mountain (…) where many people live in relatively old houses, with earth or dry stone constructions,” Patrick Coulombel, co- founder of the Architects of Emergency foundation. The residents therefore found themselves trapped under the rubble.
Even in Marrakech, the minaret of the Kharbouche mosque, near Jamaa El-Fna square, did not resist. The streets of the medina are littered with rubble. The buildings there are fragile, made of unchained masonry. “Nothing connects them together, they are separate elements, like pieces of sugar that we put on top of each other,” explains Boris Weliachew, architect and engineer specializing in major risks, for France Télévisions.
Since the beginning of the 2000s, Morocco has imposed seismic standards. “The problem is that these constructions, in particular, are built in construction methods which are not subject to these regulations (…) or they are old houses which date from before these regulations”, specifies the architect.
Because aid is slow to arrive on site
For several reasons, the delivery of aid to help disaster victims is complicated, which can increase the toll. Firstly, the affected villages are difficult to access. The epicenter is in a mountainous rural area. However , "the roads are damaged and the bridges have been destroyed, which makes access very difficult for the Moroccan emergency services, which are well organized and well trained", notes on franceinfo Colonel Philippe Besson, president of the emergency firefighters international. Added to these difficult conditions is the threat of a large-scale aftershock, possible in the coming days.
Furthermore, Morocco has not launched an appeal for international aid. According to French NGOs interviewed by franceinfo , such a request would recognize, for the kingdom of Mohammed VI, that it is not capable of managing this disaster. However, "the 24 to 48 hours [following the earthquake are] critical for saving lives" and there will be needs for "months, even years", warned the International Red Cross.
Many countries have offered support. On Monday, Morocco accepted assistance from four of them, Spain, the United Kingdom, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. France said it was ready to “intervene” “the second” the Moroccan authorities ask for it, President Emmanuel Macron said. In the meantime, Paris has announced aid of 5 million euros to help the NGOs present on site and calls not to create controversy. “Morocco has refused no aid, no proposal. This is not how things should be presented,” declared Catherine Colonna, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, on Monday, on BFMTV , insisting that“Morocco is sovereign”. “He alone can determine what his needs are and the pace at which he wants responses to be provided ,” she added.
https://www.francetvinfo.fr/monde/afrique/maroc/seisme/maroc-pourquoi-le-bilan-du-seisme-est-si-eleve-et-pourquoi-il-risque-de-s-alourdir_6055604.html
