>> This live is now over.
The search for survivors continues in Morocco, five days after an earthquake which left more than 2,900 dead. Furthermore, teams from the Moroccan Ministry of Equipment continued their work on Wednesday September 13 to reopen tracks leading to small mountainous villages in the affected province. “The road leading to the commune of Ighil, epicenter of the earthquake, and the nearby village of Aghbar, are reopened”, a ministry official told AFP. The earthquake devastated many homes in these villages located in mountainous areas, sometimes very difficult to access.
Nearly 2,900 dead. The provisional assessment reports more than 2,900 deaths, according to the latest press release from the Moroccan Interior Ministry. The 6.8 magnitude earthquake on the Richter scale that occurred Friday evening also caused 5 530 injured, while searches continue to find possible survivors.
• King Mohammed VI made a first public appearance. Nearly four days after the earthquake, the King of Morocco appeared for the first time in front of a crowd in Marrakech. The sovereign was cheered by thousands of residents gathered on the roadsides to follow his procession. He then visited the injured, before donating blood, according to the official MAP agency.
More than 100 million euros in donations needed. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has launched a fundraising appeal for around 100 million euros to support relief operations in Morocco. “We need 100 million Swiss francs (105 million euros) to be able to respond to the most urgent needs”for health, water, sanitation and hygiene, declared the IFRC’s director of operations, Caroline Holt, during a press briefing in Geneva.