Metro

Death toll in Moroccan earthquake rises above 2,000

Published

1 year ago

September 10, 2023

The death toll from the powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Morocco on Friday night has risen above 2,000.

The country’s Ministry of Interior gave an updated death toll of 2,012, with well over 1,400 injured as at Sunday morning.

The ministry said most of the casualties were in provinces just south of Marrakesh, representing the epicenter of the strongest-ever quake to hit the country in decades.

“The number of killed people jumped to as of 10 p.m, on Saturday. The number of injured victims also rose, reaching 2,059 people, including 1,404 in critical conditions. The number of deaths reached 1,293 in the province of Al Haouz, while the province of Taroudant recorded 452 deaths”, it said.

“The number of deaths in the province of Ouarzazate mounted to 41, while 15 people died in the Marrakech prefecture,” it added.

The International Red Cross Society, in a statement issued on Sunday, said the highest number of deaths from the earthquake in Morocco had been reported in Al-Haouz province, where its epicentre was located.

“Almost 1,300 deaths have so far been reported in the province, followed by more than 450 in the province of Taroudant. In total, at least 2,012 people have died and 2,059 have been injured in the earthquake, which has wiped out entire villages in rural areas”, it said.

The US Geological Survey, which is also monitoring the situation, said the earthquake was the deadliest in Morocco since a 1960 quake that destroyed Agadir, in which more than 12,000 people, about a third of the city’s population at the time, died.

“The quake’s epicentre was in the High Atlas Mountains, 71km (44 miles) south-west of Marrakesh – a city with world heritage status which is popular with tourists. But the tremors were also felt in the capital Rabat, some 350km away, as well as Casablanca, Agadir and Essaouira.

“Many of the victims are thought to have been in remote areas, with deaths confirmed in the provinces and municipalities of Marrakesh, al-Haouz, Ouarzazate, Azilal, Chichaoua and Taroudant.

“People are also feared to be trapped there, with a family said to be in the rubble of their house in the town of Al-Haouz, near the epicentre”, it said.

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Metro

Zambian Police thwart attempt to traffic 13 Ethiopians in Lusaka

Published

1 hour ago

December 3, 2024

Isaac Dachen

A human trafficking syndicate has been busted by the Zambian Police while attempting to traffic 13 Ethiopian nationals en route to South Africa.

The National Police Spokesperson, Rae Hamoonga, who revealed this in a statement on Monday, said the police intercepted the operation in Lusaka during routine patrol.

Hamoonga said officers from the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport Police Station set up a screening point at Hellensdale Junction, near Kalimba Farms, and stopped a suspicious vehicle with registration number ABF 4650 with fully tinted windows and a red number plate painted black which drew suspicion by the patrol team.

The police spokesman said upon inspection, officers discovered individuals lying on top of one another inside the van.

“When questioned, the driver and two accomplices abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot. Although officers pursued them, they escaped into a nearby farm,” Hamoonga said.

He added that inside the vehicle, police found 13 Ethiopian men who appeared frail and weak.

“Preliminary interviews revealed they had traveled from Ethiopia, passing through Kenya and Tanzania, before heading to South Africa to meet an unidentified individual.

“Reinforcements were called, and all 13 victims were taken into protective custody for further questioning.

“Two suspects, the driver Siaumpe Kaumbe and Patrick Kombe, an unlicensed driver, were later apprehended, while a third suspect remains at large,” the statement said.

“The Zambia Police Service remains committed to combatting human trafficking and ensuring the safety and dignity of all individuals,” Hamoonga said and urged the public to report suspicious activities to the nearest police station, while assuring that investigations were ongoing to dismantle the trafficking network responsible for facilitating the crime.

Metro

Nigeria seeks SA’s support for G20, BRICS membership

Published

6 hours ago

December 3, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Nigeria has sought the support of South Africa in its bid to attain full membership in the G20, BRICS and the BRICS New Development Bank.

Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who made the request at the ministerial session of the 11th Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission (BNC) held in Cape Town on Monday, also pleaded with the South African government to support Nigeria’s bid to assume leadership roles in thematic discussions of interest under South Africa’s G20 presidency which commenced on December 1.

While delivering her speech,
Ojukwu said President Bola Tinubu, who is a member of the ad hoc mediation committee established by the African Union, had prioritised resolving crisis in Africa to foster peace and stability in Sudan and other conflict-affected parts of the continent.

‘‘We are strongly committed to seeking a resolution of the crisis in Sudan and in this guise, we seek South Africa’s support to further accelerate the peace process and to ensure that within our region, conflicts are de-escalated,” she said.

‘‘We can hope that with peace, greater progress and development can be achieved across all spheres,’’ the ambassador added.

She lauded the officials of both countries for working hard to present a draft communique facilitating amendments and submissions raised at the ministerial session of the BNC which will be presented to President Tinubu and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the presidential BNC session later on Tuesday in Cape Town.

In his response, South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Dr. Roland Lamola, also affirmed that his country would amplify Africa’s voice during its G20 presidency.

“We will count on Nigeria’s wise counsel as we assume this major responsibility.

‘‘Our people expect South Africa and Nigeria, given our common roots, to continue working together and more closely in order that their conditions and prospects are improved and the quality of life enhanced,’’ Lamola said.

He further highlighted priority areas of collaboration, including trade, investment, tourism, health, education, agriculture, ICT, artificial intelligence, arts and culture, climate change, defense, and security, and stressed the importance of expediting the finalisation and implementation of outstanding agreements under the BNC framework.