BEIJING, Sept.11 (APP): China is following closely the devastating earthquake in Morocco and stands ready to continue to provide help to the quake-hit country in light of its needs to the best of its capability, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Monday.
“Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent a message of sympathy to Moroccan King Mohammed VI expressing deep condolences over the victims and sincerest sympathies to the families of the deaths and the injured,”
President Xi also expressed his belief that the people of Morocco will overcome the impacts of disaster and rebuild their homes at an early date, he added.
The magnitude 6.8 quake hit southern parts of the north African country at 11 pm Friday local time. The epicenter was near the town of Ighil in Al Haouz province, roughly 70 kilometers south of major city Marrakech.
At least 2,012 people have died and more than 2,059 injured in the disaster, according to the local authorities on Sunday morning. Morocco has declared three days of national mourning. The toll is expected to rise as rescuers struggle to reach hard-hit remote areas. Morocco has declared three days of national mourning.
The spokesperson informed that the Red Cross Society of China immediately announced to provide the Moroccan Red Crescent emergency humanitarian aid of $200,000 in cash.
The China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) also announced that it will provide emergency humanitarian aid, she added.
A spokesperson for CIDCA, Xu Wei said, “We are willing to provide emergency humanitarian assistance according to the needs of the victims.”
Chinese medical personnel in the country were among the first to go to the rescue, braving the aftershocks and operating on a number of critically ill patients.