Race to leave Morocco: Huge queues form outside Marrakesh airport as tourists scramble to return home after devastating 6.8 magnitude quake left more than 2,000 dead

Tourists are leaving Morocco in droves after the country was rocked by a devastating earthquake that killed more than 2,000 people.

Morocco was hit by its worst earthquake in 60 years late on Friday evening, bringing down buildings across the country and forcing citizens and tourists to sleep on the streets as fears grew that buildings would collapse on them.

Thousands of holidaymakers were seen leaving the affected country, while queues were seen at the main entrances of several Moroccan airports, including Marrakech airport.

Although much of Morocco was badly affected by the powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake, especially in rural areas with outdated infrastructure, it appears that tourists, who mainly live in large cities such as Marrakech, can currently leave the country.

The latest advice from the UK Foreign Office, published last night, reads: ‘All Moroccan airports are open and flights to and from Britain are operating as normal, with some airlines freeing up extra seats for travelers arriving to Britain ahead of schedule. Britain want to return. .

‘Travellers wishing to change their flight plans should contact their tour operators or airlines directly.

‘If you are planning to travel to Morocco soon, we advise you to contact your accommodation provider/tour operator before departure to confirm arrangements in case of disruption or damage due to the earthquake.’

Meanwhile, the US Embassy in the Moroccan capital of Rabat is telling American citizens: ‘Exercise caution in the next 24 hours in case of new earthquakes or aftershocks.

‘A tsunami warning also applies to the coastal areas. Please adhere to police instructions regarding road closures or traffic disruptions.”

Several British tourists are reportedly missing in the post-earthquake chaos.

Relatives desperately tried to contact three Britons staying in Imlil, a remote village in the mountains near the epicenter.

On X, formerly known as Twitter, the family of 65-year-old Rebecca Calvert from Windsor begged Secretary of State James Cleverly for help.

Ms Calvert was staying with her friend Hilary McKegney at the Hotel Le Village du Toubkal.

Her daughter Katie told Mr Cleverly: ‘We are sick with worry and need your help to find her and get her home safely. Please urgently direct UK resources to the specific region and provide an urgent update on their whereabouts.”

Another British woman asked for information about

Alice Morrison, a British author living in Imlil, described the moment the earthquake struck, writing on her blog: ‘I can hear screams and screams. One is mine. I am alone in the dark on the moving ground.’

Helen Morris, 37, from Neath, South Wales, and her friend Amy Pritchard, 37, were at the Riu Tikida Garden hotel in Marrakech when paintings fell from the walls. “We ducked under the desk until everything stopped moving… for 30 to 40 seconds,” Ms Morris said.

Shannon Nolan, 31, from Bristol, who stayed at Aqua Mirage Marrakech with her sister, their mother and their six children, said: ‘The bed was shaking, the wardrobe was rocking, the TV was coming off the wall and the mirror in the bathroom was broken. When I got up to walk, it was like I was at sea.”

The devastating earthquake has already claimed the lies of at least 2,000 people, a number that is only expected to rise in the coming days.

The Moroccan Interior Ministry said another 2,000 people were injured, with 1,400 in critical condition.

Morocco’s royal family has declared three days of national mourning after the deadly earthquake.

“Three days of national mourning have been decided, during which flags will fly at half-mast on all public buildings,” said a statement published by the official news agency MAP after King Mohamed VI chaired a meeting to discuss the disaster.

The earthquake struck the Atlas Mountains in Morocco and caused tremors as far away as Portugal.

The Red Cross has warned that the next 24 to 48 hours are crucial to saving the lives of those trapped in the rubble in the region, Sky News reports.

Some of the hardest-hit areas are remote and mountainous, creating additional hardships for rescuers.

Carol Holt, global chief of operations for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), said: “We know what to expect. There is a need for dignified management of dead bodies. There is a need to provide people with safe water.

‘We have to make sure that we don’t have a disaster within a disaster. Hygiene really needs to be maintained.

“The next 24 to 48 hours will be critical in saving lives.”

The IFRC is conducting an assessment of the crisis and preparing to deploy its emergency response teams.

The organization’s regional director, Dr. Hossam Elsharkawi, said the response could even take years, as the disaster could last “many months, if not years.”

“This will not be a week or two response, as our region saw earlier this year with the major earthquakes in Turkey and Syria,” he said.