Sat, Sep 9th 2023
The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) activated the crisis team after the devastating earthquake in Morocco on Saturday night.
So far the FDFA has no knowledge of any Swiss victims. Federal President Alain Berset expressed his condolences.
On the short message service X, formerly Twitter, Berset wrote: “Our thoughts are with the Moroccans affected by this terrible earthquake.” Switzerland stands in solidarity with Morocco.
According to EDA spokesman Michael Steiner, the crisis team met on Saturday morning to discuss a possible Swiss aid operation. However, the rescue chain is usually only deployed when a request is received from the affected country.
2,500 Swiss in Morocco
There are currently 2,545 Swiss citizens officially registered in Morocco. 102 Swiss nationals who are staying in Morocco have registered on the Travel Admin app.
According to Steiner, the EDA helpline received a number of inquiries. The helpline instructed those seeking advice to follow the authorities’ instructions, register on Travel Admin App and contact the tour operators or airline.
According to current information, at least 632 people were killed in the magnitude 6.8 to 6.9 earthquake around 70 kilometers southwest of Marrakech and 60 kilometers northeast of the city of Taroudant. In addition, according to official information on Saturday morning, 329 injured people were taken to hospitals for treatment.
Keystone/SDA©
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