Local shepherd Tayeb ait Igenbaz barely was able to save my son. Unfortunately, his parents died before his eyes.
The devastating earthquake in Morocco brought grief to the families of the country. The official death toll as of 18:00 on September 11 is more than 2,100 people. However, the extent of the destruction is still being investigated, so the death toll could rise.
The BBC tells the story of a devastated family whose three members were killed by the earthquake.
According to the US Geological Survey, the epicenter of the earthquake was the Atlas Mountains, 71 km southwest of Marrakech. There are many small farming villages in the area that were completely destroyed by the earthquake. Al-Hawz province was hit hardest.
Local goat herder Taeb ait Igenbaz told the BBC he had to make a terrible choice: save his 11-year-old son or his parents trapped under the rubble.
Before the earthquake
On the evening of September 8, Tayeb was at home with his wife, two children and parents. It was then that an earthquake hit their house.
“Everything happened so quickly. We all ran to the door. My father was sleeping, and I shouted to my mother to come out, but she stayed next to him,” the man recalls.< /p>
He returned to the destroyed building and saw that his son and parents were blocked by rubble. It was necessary to act quickly, and the man rushed to his son Adam, desperately digging through the rubble to pull him out.
When he returned to his parents, he saw that their bodies were pinched by a large stone slab. According to Taeb, it was too late.
“I had to choose between my parents and my son,” says the man with tears in his eyes.
Unfortunately, he could not help his parents because that the wall covered half of their bodies.
“It's so sad. I saw them die,” he recalls.
How the affected family lives now
Now Taeb and his son and wife are living with relatives in makeshift tents. He says all his savings were left in a destroyed house, and most of his goats were killed.
“It's like being born into a new life. There are no parents, no home, no food, no clothes. I'm 50 and must start all over again,” he says.
Taib doesn’t know how to move on with his life, but he remembers his parents’ advice.
“They always said: “Be patient, work hard and never don’t give up,” shares Taeb.
And while he is talking with reporters, his son runs up to him, hugs him and says: “Dad saved me from death.”
Remember, the earthquake in Morocco had the most powerful earthquake in 100 years, with a magnitude of 6.8.
The death toll due to tremors is rising sharply, and the country's authorities have already appealed to the international community for help.
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