Foreign rescue teams join search for Morocco quake survivors

Rabat, Sept 11, (dpa/GNA) – Rescue teams from Spain, Britain and Qatar began supporting Moroccan rescuers in areas that have been affected by the powerful earthquake, that struck the North African country, the Moroccan news agency MAP reported on Monday.

Britain sent 60 search and rescue experts, along with equipment and four search dogs to support the Moroccan-led operations, British Ambassador Simon Martin said in a post published early Monday on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

Morocco on Sunday said it responded to support offers made by Spain, Qatar, Britain and the UAE, which have proposed mobilizing a group of research and rescue teams.

Rabat said it could later accept support offers made by other countries.

Some 2,122 people have been killed since the 6.8-magnitude quake, which rattled several parts of the country on Friday, triggered rock slides, blocking roads and making it hard for rescue teams to reach the large affected mountainous areas.

Rescuers have been racing against time in search of potential survivors in a challenging mission.

Witnesses said until Sunday, some affected areas were still isolated because roads were blocked by landslides. Some survivors said the smell of bodies was beginning to come out from under the rubble.

GNA