Morocco mourns quake victims as death toll passes 2,000
earthquake that killed more than 2,000 people, as rescue teams raced to find survivors trapped in the rubble of flattened villages.
The strongest-ever quake to hit the country has killed at least 2,012 people and injured over 2,059, many of them critically, according to the latest official figures.
Friday's 6.8-magnitude quake struck 72 kilometres (45 miles) southwest of the tourist hub of Marrakesh, wiping out entire villages in rural areas.
«I've lost everything», said Lahcen, a resident of the mountain village of Moulay Brahim, whose wife and four children were killed.
Rescue workers recovered the bodies of Lahcen's three daughters from the rubble of what was once their home, but have not yet found the bodies of his wife and son.
«I can't do anything about it now, I just want to get away from the world and mourn.»
Troops and emergency services have scrambled to reach remote mountain villages where victims are still feared trapped.
Al-Haouz province, where the epicentre of the earthquake was located, suffered the most deaths with 1,293, followed by the province of Taroudant with 452.
First funerals
Bouchra, another resident of remote Moulay Brahim village, dried her tears with her scarf as she watched men digging graves to bury the victims.
«My cousin's grandchildren are dead», she said in a knotted voice.
«I saw the devastation of the earthquake live, and I'm still shaking.
It's like a ball of fire that has swallowed up everything in its path,» she said.
«Everyone here has lost family, whether in our village or elsewhere in the region», she added.
Authorities declared three days of national mourning, while several countries, including Israel, France, Spain, Italy and the United States, have offered aid.
Neighbouring
