The Search for Moroccan Earthquake Victims is a Race Against Time, the US and Qatar Send Rescue Teams

The impact of the Moroccan earthquake. (Wikimedia Commons/alyaoum24)

JAKARTA - A number of friendly countries are ready to send rescue and aid teams to Morocco, as local authorities race against time to search for and rescue victims of the earthquake that hit the country on Friday night last week.

An earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale rocked Morocco on Friday evening. The epicenter of the earthquake was 72 km (45 miles) southwest of Marrakesh, a city that is the center of past historical heritage that is of interest to domestic and foreign tourists.

The death toll rose to 2,122 with 2,421 people injured, state TV reported, as reported by Reuters 11 September.

"The next two to three days will be critical to finding people trapped under the rubble," Caroline Holt, director of global operations for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), told Reuters.

Holt added that the international aid system had been waiting for an invitation from Morocco to provide assistance.

Meanwhile, Spain said 56 rescue workers and four sniffer dogs had arrived in Morocco, while a second team of 30 people and four dogs was heading there. Britain said it deployed 60 search and rescue specialists and four dogs on Sunday, as well as a four-person medical assessment team.

Apart from Spain, Qatar also said its search and rescue team was leaving for Morocco.

From the United States, President Joe Biden expressed his "sorrow over the loss of life and destruction caused by the earthquake".

"We are ready to provide any necessary assistance to the Moroccan people," President Biden said at a press conference from Hanoi, Vietnam.

Meanwhile, an Uncle Sam official said a small team of disaster experts sent by America arrived in Morocco on Sunday to assess the situation.

Likewise, France stated that it was ready to help, while waiting for an official request from Morocco.

Other countries offering aid include Turkey, where an earthquake in February killed more than 50,000 people.

It is known that this earthquake is the deadliest earthquake in Morocco since 1960, when an earthquake is estimated to have killed at least 12,000 people.