Earthquake aftershocks rock rescue teams and survivors in Morocco

Following the earthquake that violently rocked Morocco last week, on Friday 8 September, the aftershock tremors have forced rescue missions to halt.

The earthquake, which has a 6.8 magnitude and killed more than 2,400 people, hit Marrakesh and other mountainous regions of the North African country.

It has also been reported that the earthquake marks the nation's strongest and deadliest on record, since the 1960 earthquake that destroyed Agadir and killed between 12,000 and 15,000 people.

The United Nations has predicted that more than 300,000 people have been affected by the earthquake, with one-third being children.

On Wednesday 13 September, the mountain village Imi N'Tala was rocked by aftershocks. Recently, dramatic footage that showed several journalists, rescue teams and residents running from the village, which is located near the epicentre of the earthquake, emerged.

Only one person sustained minor injuries as a result of a falling rock.

Many villagers in the High Atlas Mountain region of Morocco traditionally live in adobe homes. Due to the earthquake, these homes have now been reduced to rubble and dust.

The adobe homes are formed by a material similar to mud brick. Experts have recognised that the collapse of the ticking material creates a larger struggle for those attempting to pull people from the debris.

Antonio Nogales, coordinator of operations for Firemen United Without Borders, a Spanish rescue team on the ground, told reporters: "This kind of collapse causes greater air tightness due to the types of material, like mud brick."

"Steel and concrete facilitate the possibility of survivors, but these [mud and brick] materials mean that in the first moments, the chances of getting people out alive are reduced," Nogales explained.

Another member of a military rescue operation said: "It's difficult to pull people out alive because most of the walls and ceilings turned to earthen rubble when they fell, burying whoever was inside without leaving air spaces."

Rescue experts and Moroccan nationals are continuing to pull bodies from the collapsed debris, in an attempt to find any remaining survivors.

Despite surpassing the 72-hour likelihood of survival, survivors in some cases are still being found.

Reports note that many of the fatalities are said to be in areas in the south of Marrakesh that are difficult to access.

Alice Morrison, an Author and Adventurer who lives in the epicentre of the earthquake, told reporters: "Supplies are getting to us very well – but the danger is getting supplies to these little hamlets."

Morrison continued to express: "I've hiked the whole area, and it can take you two days to get to a hamlet from a road – those are the ones I'm praying for."

Reports also note that as well as a staggering 2,497 people being killed by the catastrophe, a further 5,530 people have been reported as injured.

International rescue experts have also arrived in Morocco to assist with providing humanitarian aid and essential support. Emergency food and tents have also been bought for the victims of the natural disaster, with vehicles packed with supplies winding up the mountainous roads.

Citizens have also been seen donating blood to help treat the injured survivors.

The international teams include Spain, the UK, the US, Qatar, Israel, Algeria and Turkey.

At first, Morocco denied France's appeal to send rescue teams to the area. French volunteers had arranged for a group of aid workers, listening devices and other gear to assist with the mission. But the Moroccan authorities refused to give the French nationals the green light to hop on a flight.

Arnaud Fraisse, the team's coordinator and founder of the aid group Rescuers Without Borders, revealed: "The green light never came... All of our team members who train regularly year-round for this type of thing are miserable that they couldn't leave and put their skills to use."

Similar to the delayed French aid access, Morocco did not take up Germany's offer of support.

Despite Rabat and Berlin having tension in recent years, a spokesperson for Germany's Foreign Ministry declared that the "diplomatic relations between Germany and Morocco are good".

The spokesperson continued to reassure citizens by saying: "I'm sure that they [Morocco] have thought very carefully about which forces can be deployed where and how they can get there, what transport capacities are available, for example."