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Brits caught in earthquake in Morocco join relief efforts after at least 2,100 confirmed dead
BRITS caught in an earthquake which has claimed at least 2,100 lives were joining relief efforts last night.
Dozens broke off from holidays and business trips to queue for hours to give blood, with others planning supply runs into areas worst hit by the shocks.
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Others were setting up field kitchens for quake victims left homeless and hungry by the 6.8 magnitude Moroccan quake, which wiped villages off the map south of Marrakesh.
And last night, Britain’s Foreign Office said it was sending 60 search and rescue specialists, four search dogs and equipment to the scene.
Teams are flying out on two huge RAF transporters provided by the MoD.
British NHS medics are also standing ready to airlift fully staffed mobile field hospitals to the disaster zone.
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Nicole Lovett, 32, a communications director attending a conference in Marrakesh, said: “I worked in the worst-affected villages on previous trips.
“I watched a video of a village I knew, which had just disappeared and it was impossible to contain my emotions.
“Lots of Brits like me and other conference delegates have now joined the relief effort.
“They’ve piled into the local cash and carry and will be taking out supplies to the worst-affected areas.”
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Bella Carrington, an events programmer from London, said: “I rounded up as many of us as I could to join the three-hour queue to give blood. There was no shortage of volunteers. It is an awful tragedy.”
TV producer Simon London, 55, said: “I’m here for a conference but within hours of the quake a group of us headed out to donate blood.
“A British restaurateur is also doing incredible work setting up a food kitchen.”
British aid group UK-Med will move mobile field hospitals to the area if the Moroccan government requests help.
The group’s CEO, David Wightwick, said: “We have two mobile hospitals ready to be moved to where they are needed most, 500 NHS staff plus 500 more highly trained medics ready to go.”
The huge quake death toll is expected to surge further as rescue teams reach worst-hit mud and brick-built settlements.
Aftershocks continued to rock the region last night.
As well as at least 2,100 dead, 2,059 have been injured, more than 1,200 seriously.
The was in a mountainous area 40 miles south Marrakesh.
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Up to 1,000 people were killed in a single settlement nearby.
Between 5,000 and 8,000 Brits are currently in Morocco.
How you can help
THE British Red Cross has launched an emergency appeal to help get essential aid to Morocco’s earthquake victims.
You can donate to the British Red Cross Morocco Earthquake Appeal through the charity’s website at redcross.org.uk or by calling 0300 004 0338.
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