KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 11 — Morocco has responded favorably to offers made by friendly countries to provide relief and rescue teams in response to a 7-magnitude earthquake that struck late Friday, but wants to see the assistance coordinated by its local authorities.
The Moroccan Embassy in Kuala Lumpur in a statement on Monday said being aware that uncoordinated aid will be counterproductive, it was decided international rescue teams will be dispatched and put in operational contact with their Moroccan counterparts.
This approach was decided during a working session chaired by its monarch King Mohammed VI to examine the situation, following the earthquake.
“As rescue operations progress, the increasing potential for evolving needs may necessitate the consideration of support from additional countries. This may entail the provision of various other forms of assistance,” read the statement.
To date, Italy, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom have deployed rescue teams in the areas affected by the earthquake.
The embassy noted that King Mohammed conveyed his country’s heartfelt gratitude to numerous brotherly and friendly countries that have expressed their solidarity with the Moroccan people during these challenging times, as well as those that have extended offers of support and assistance in the current circumstances.
According to media reports, at least 2,122 people were killed and 2,421 others were injured when a magnitude-7 earthquake struck Morocco late Friday, according to the Interior Ministry.
The quake was the strongest to hit the North African country in the last century, according to Morocco’s National Geophysical Institute.
— Bernama
