Morocco earthquake: Mountain areas searched as nation mourns

Spain's Foreign Minister Joe Manuel Albares on Sunday said that search and rescue teams, along with other aid, would be sent to Morocco following a formal request for assistance from Rabat.

"It is a sign of Spanish solidarity and of the sense of friendship which unites the people of Spain with the people of Morocco," Albares said during an interview with Catalunya Radio.

The foreign minister said he received a call from his Moroccan counterpart requesting the aid in the early hours of Sunday.

Spain's Interior Ministry on Sunday that government was managing "the immediate deployment" of a contingent involving 65 members to help search for survivors.

Rescuers in Morocco are meanwhile facing the challenge of trying to reach those in badly affected villages in the Atlas Mountains, a range which is home to remote settlements.

Large boulders have tumbled onto a mountain road near Moulay Brahim, around 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Marrakech. This has partially blocked the road linking the the city to the mountains.

"There are a lot of people still under the rubble. People are still searching for their parents," Adeeni Mustafa, a resident from the area told Reuters news agency. 

Marrakech 'in a state of shock' — DW correspondent

DW's Jan-Phillip Scholz is tracking developments in Marrakech and said people are beginning to realize the scale and extent of the earthquake.

"Marrakech is in a state of shock, last night you could still see some kind of normal everyday life, there were even some tourists outside in restaurants but people are slowly starting to realize the extent of the tragedy," Scholz said.

Thousands of people are sleeping outside of their homes, with tourists even staying outside of their hotels, Scholz said. He noted that many historic buildings in the old part of city have been destroyed.

"Fortunately the death toll is not very high here in the city of Marrakech but it’s a completely different picture just twenty, thirty kilometers outside of the city," Scholz told DW's Michael Okwu, adding that the biggest concern at this stage was the possibility of aftershocks.

World Bank offers condolences to Moroccan people

The World Bank has offered condolences after the earthquake. 

"Our hearts go out to the people of Morocco, who are suffering the effects of devastating earthquakes that have caused a tragic loss of life, injuries, and damages in the areas south of Marrakech," the financial institution said in a statement. 

"We have relayed our profoundest condolences to the Kingdom at the highest levels and offered our full support to the country in the wake of the catastrophe. Our sole focus at this stage is on the Moroccan people and the authorities who are dealing with this tragedy."   

Marrakech residents stay outside for second night

Many families in Marrakech spent their second consecutive night on the streets, concerned about their safety after the deadliest earthquake to hit Morocco in over half a century left them fearing for their lives. 

"I cannot sleep there," Mouhamad Ayat Elhaj told Reuters news agency. Elhaj has slept on the streets near the city's historic medina after finding signs of damage in his house.  

"I am asking the authorities to help me and bring in an expert to assess whether it is possible for me to return to the house or not. If there is a risk, I will not return to the house," he said.

Noureddine Lahbabi, a 68-year-old with four children, also prepared to sleep outside for a second night. "It’s a painful experience. When this happens to your brother or sister, it’s really painful," he said. 

Other families found open spaces away from the medina, along the roads, to spend the night on.

The historic medina in Marrakech is a popular attraction for both Moroccans and foreigners. Pictures showed religious sites, such as mosques in the area, damaged by the quake. 

Moroccan Interior Ministry has said that so far 2,012 people have been killed from the earthquake in Marrakech and in other parts of the country. The Moroccan government said 2,059 people have also been injured, 1,404 of whom are in critical condition.