TAFEGHAGHTE, Morocco -- Using heavy equipment and even their bare hands, rescuers in Morocco on Sunday stepped up efforts to find survivors of a devastating earthquake that killed more than 2,100 people and flattened villages.
The first foreign rescuers flew in to help after the North African country's strongest-ever quake killed at least 2,122 people and injured more than 2,400, many seriously, according to official figures updated late on Sunday.
AFP saw them recover one body from the ruins of a house. Four others were still buried there, residents said. According to Moroccan public television,"more than 18,000 families have been affected" by the quake in Al-Haouz.Spain's defence ministry said an A400 airlifter took off from Zaragoza with 56 rescuers and four search dogs headed for Marrakesh to"help in the search and rescue of survivors".
"There is no help for us," she said."Our houses have been cracked, others destroyed -- like my daughter's house which was wiped out. We are in a chaotic state." It said only four offers to help have been accepted because"a lack of coordination could be counterproductive".French President Emmanuel Macron said his country has mobilised"all technical and security teams to be able to intervene, when the Moroccan authorities deem it useful".