Pope Francis reaffirms closeness to Moroccan people after earthquake

Pope Francis on Sunday reaffirmed his closeness to the people of Morocco, after the earthquake that shook that country at 11:11 p.m., local time, on Friday, with more of 2,000 deaths so far.

After the Sunday prayer of the Angelus, from the window of his study in the Apostolic Palace, the Supreme Pontiff expressed at noon, before thousands of religious people who gathered in St. Peter’s Square, his pain for the victims of the Magnitude 6.9 earthquake on the Richter scale, according to a press release from the Vatican press office.

“I pray for the injured, for those who have lost their lives, so many! and for their families. I thank the rescuers and those who are working to alleviate people’s suffering. Concrete help from everyone can sustain the population in this tragic moment. We are close to the people of Morocco! the Pope noted.

Previously, on Saturday, in a message signed by the Vatican Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, the Supreme Pontiff underlined that he had prayed for those who died in that tragedy and offered his closeness to those who lost loved ones and their homes, at the same time that he acknowledged the work of those participating in relief efforts.

The epicenter of the devastating earthquake was located 70 kilometers from the city of Marrakech, at a depth of ten kilometers, and the provisional number of deaths on Sunday amounted to 2,012, with a similar number of injured, more than 1,000 of whom are seriously wounded, in addition to considerable material damage.

On Saturday, Moroccan King Mohammed VI decreed three days of national mourning in honor of the fatal victims of the earth tremor, whose final number will only be known when the rescue efforts are completed.