French Tourist Survives Devastating Marrakech Earthquake During Moroccan Vacation

Accustomed to spending her holidays in Morocco for a few years, Michelle flew to Marrakech on September 2. "I work for the company Selha in Renazé (Mayenne), which has a branch in Casablanca. I had to join friends there," she told Actu.fr. The fifty-year-old was accompanied by her friend who was visiting Marrakech for the first time. The couple booked an Airbnb in the old Medina. In the middle of the week, the two tourists decided to go to Casablanca and planned to return to Marrakech on September 8.

"My friends asked me to stay one more day," says Michelle. It was this change of plan that probably "allowed her to escape the worst." The horror occurred in Marrakech on Friday, September 8 as she and her friend reached their hotel in Casablanca around 11 p.m. "The bed and the sconces started to move. We had the impression that the walls were moving forward and backward," she details. It was general panic. The hotel was evacuated. "There was no more power. We were walking in the dark hallways without knowing where we were going... We spent the night outside. An ambulance arrived. We were able to return to our rooms at 6 a.m.," says Michelle.

In this tragic night, Michelle was unable to reassure her loved ones that she is safe and sound. "My children were very worried and reported me missing to the embassy," she says. The day after the tragedy, she and her friend boarded a bus to Marrakech from where they took their return flight to France. They were able to see the damage from the earthquake in the ochre city. "Everything had collapsed. We saw bloodied faces. The place where we were staying has completely disappeared."

Back in France, Michelle organized a clothing drive for the victims. Three weeks after the earthquake, she is beginning to realize that she narrowly escaped. "My loved ones tell me that I have a lucky star above my head."