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Large parts of Moulay Brahim, a remote village in the Atlas Mountains, were reduced to rubble in just seconds when the devastating 6.8-magnitude quake struck.<\/p>\n
IT programmer Abdelmajid Idfrrazen told how he ran from his house as the walls started to crumble \u2013 and then he had to dig his 70-year-old neighbour out of the rubble with his bare hands.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cI was going to sleep when we felt the first shock. It was after 11pm and it lasted about three seconds. Then there was another, about 13 seconds. It was very short, but it was terrifying. We all ran to try and get outside. Bricks and rubble were falling. Now all the homes here are irreparable. Many people died.\u201d<\/p>\n
After checking his parents and uncle were safe, Abdelmajid, 36, stumbled across the elderly \u00adneighbour trapped under his \u00adcollapsed walls.<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cHis breath was very short, he had one hand sticking out. We were grabbing things with our hands or any tool we could find. It was late at night and dark, but we kept digging for three hours. We got him out but he was badly hurt. He was taken away in a vehicle and then a helicopter took him to hospital in Marrakech. We hope he is ok.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Abdelmajid revealed the damage caused to the homes of families and friends. He said: \u201cOver 90 percent of the village is gone, people can\u2019t live in their houses anymore. They are dangerous. We still have electricity, but no water and we are worried about aftershocks. It will take years and years to repair. Houses will have to be demolished and rebuilt, but how can we do this?\u201d<\/p>\n
Many families in the village, which has a population of less than 3,000, have now built temporary shelters in the square \u2013 traditionally used for joyous occasions like weddings \u2013 as they fear their homes may collapse.<\/p>\n
Yesterday, eight-year-old Niama was leading her shell-shocked elderly grandmother Hadod to safety through the rubble towards the square. In broken English, she said: \u201cEverything was shaking, people are hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n
Oussama Amsetag, 23, and Hassan Azaz, 25, who were helping their families build the makeshift shanty town, told how they had lost three friends in the quake.<\/p>\n
Hassan said: \u201cI was at home and everything was shaking. There was great danger. The walls were coming down. I know three friends who died, some of them teenagers. \u201cNow the village is trying to help themselves. People are bringing food and milk to help us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Don’t miss… <\/strong> A double funeral was taking place in the village in the shadow of the mosque, just 36 hours after the devastating quake. According to Islamic custom, burials should take place quickly after death.<\/p>\n A group of around 40 men gathered in the cemetery as the bodies, wrapped in sheets, were carried to the freshly dug graves. Prayers were read as the two people, believed to be from the same family, were buried. At the top of the hill female \u00adrelatives were hysterically crying, with one woman carried away by loved ones after collapsing.<\/p>\n The region was hit by a smaller 3.9 aftershock on Sunday which left many shaken. In the village of Asni, a few miles down the mountain from Moulay Brahim, large crowds gathered desperate for shelter and supplies.<\/p>\n As trucks carrying aid passed through, they were swarmed by young men who grasped all they could to help their families.<\/p>\n Mbark Idqbude told how he grabbed his three young boys \u2013 aged 15, nine and three \u2013 when he felt the earth start shaking and ran into the street. He said: \u201cMy house is destroyed, everywhere is destroyed. The ground shook again this morning. I got my 90-year-old mother to safety. She is staying with friends, she can\u2019t stay here.\u201d<\/p>\n The family is now living in one of dozens of makeshift blue shelters, made from a plastic tarpaulin, on waste land in the village. Jewellery seller Mbark, 55, said: \u201cWe will be here for six months, maybe longer.<\/p>\n \u201cThe earthquake was far worse up the mountain, 60 kilometres away. Hundreds and hundreds killed. All those families will come looking for somewhere to live. It is chaotic, we need more tents and supplies. If it snows here in the winter, it will be terrible.\u201d<\/p>\n Friday\u2019s quake, Morocco\u2019s strongest ever recorded, struck 45 miles south-west of Marrakech, wiping out entire villages in rural areas.<\/p>\n Other towns devastated include Tikht, near Adassil, and Tafeghaghte, 37 miles south-west of Marrakech. Morocco has declared three days of mourning, during which the national flag will be flown at half mast. About 100 UN teams made up of 3,500 rescuers from around the world are ready to be deployed to Morocco when asked.<\/p>\n Medical aid charity UK-Med is due to be part of a specialist team of workers heading to the country today. Spokesman David Wight\u00adwick said: \u201cWe will look at how we can bring healthcare there.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are also in negotiations with the local ministry of health, hospitals and local communities.\u201d<\/p>\n
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