Survivors of Morocco’s worst earthquake in six decades scrambled to find food, water and shelter on Sunday as searches continued in remote villages for missing people and the death toll, which already exceeds 2,100, looks set to rise, Reuters reported, according to News.ro

Many people were preparing to spend a third night outside after the 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck late Friday night. Rescuers are struggling to reach the worst-hit villages in the rocky Atlas Mountains, where settlements are often isolated and many homes have been destroyed.

The latest number of victims of the disaster increased to 2,122 dead and 2,421 injured.

The damage to Morocco’s cultural heritage became even more apparent when local media reported the destruction of a historically important 12th-century mosque. The earthquake also damaged parts of Marrakech’s old city, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In the village of Moulay Brahim, located 40 km south of Marrakech, residents told how they got the dead out of the rubble with their bare hands. Local residents complained of shortages of water, food and electricity, saying they had so far received little help from the government. With most shops damaged or closed, residents struggled to get food and supplies.

Since many houses were built of clay, wood and cement, the structures were easily destroyed. It was Morocco’s deadliest earthquake since 1960, when it was estimated to have killed at least 12,000 people.

The army, mobilized to help with rescue operations, began setting up tent cities for the homeless.

The government said on Saturday it was taking urgent measures to deal with the disaster, including boosting search and rescue teams, providing drinking water and distributing food, tents and blankets.

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International mobilization: countries jump to Morocco’s aid

Spain said 56 rescuers and four sniffer dogs had arrived in Morocco, while a second team of 30 people and four dogs was on its way to the country.

On Sunday, Britain said it had sent 60 search and rescue specialists and 4 dogs, as well as a four-person medical team.

Qatar also said its search and rescue team had left for Morocco.

US President Joe Biden expressed “sadness at the loss of life and destruction” caused by the earthquake. “We are ready to provide any necessary assistance to the Moroccan people,” he said at a press conference in Hanoi, Vietnam. The United States has sent a small team of disaster experts to Morocco to assess the situation. A US official said they arrived there on Sunday.

France said it was ready to help and was waiting for a formal request from Morocco. “France is ready to offer its help to Morocco if Morocco decides it is useful,” President Emmanuel Macron said at the G20 summit in New Delhi.

Other countries offering aid include Turkey, where earthquakes in February killed more than 50,000 people. By Sunday, the Turkish team had not yet left.

“The next 2-3 days will be crucial for finding people trapped under the rubble,” Caroline Holt, global director of operations at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), told Reuters. assistance awaited an invitation from Morocco to provide assistance, adding that this was not necessarily unusual as the government assessed needs.

According to estimates by the World Health Organization, more than 300,000 people were affected by the disaster.