Tragedy in Casablanca: a 7-year-old British girl disappears before her parents’ eyes

Inaayah Makda, from Blackburn in Lancashire, was on the rocks with her parents on the first day of their family vacation when the tide, which had risen suddenly, caught them by surprise. Although her parents were also swept into the Atlantic, they managed to reach the shore, unlike their only child, whose trace was instantly lost before the eyes of her loved ones, according to the BBC.

Perceiving the Moroccan authorities’ assistance as insufficient, the family took the initiative to hire a private operator with a helicopter to fly over the accident site. Blackburn MP Adnan Hussain described the situation as "terrible and anguishing" and has contacted the British Foreign Office to intensify the search efforts and consular support on the ground.

Victims’ relatives point out the total lack of signage or warning of danger on this stretch of the Casablanca coastline, where the tide can rise rapidly. The girl’s primary school said it was "extremely distressed", while the community is organizing to support the parents, who remain in Morocco awaiting a sign from the child.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) confirmed on Thursday that it is in close contact with the Moroccan authorities to coordinate the search efforts. The incident occurs as maritime conditions on the Atlantic coast can be unpredictable.