Lionel Messi’s poignant message to the Moroccans

"My condolences to all the families of the victims of the earthquake in Morocco, and all the strength to the injured and people affected by this terrible disaster," said Leo Messi in a statement. An earthquake of magnitude 6.8, the strongest the country has experienced in a century, struck the kingdom in the night from Friday, September 8, killing thousands of people and injuring many others.

On Sunday, during the Angelus, Pope Francis also did not fail to express his solidarity with the people affected by this tragedy. "I pray for the injured, for those who have lost their lives and for their families. I thank the rescuers. In this tragic moment, we are close to the Moroccan people," he said.

The search for possible survivors of this earthquake continues. As of Monday, this disaster has already claimed at least 2,497 lives and 2,476 injured, according to the Ministry of the Interior. "The public authorities are still mobilized to accelerate the rescue and evacuation operations of the injured," the department assured. On Saturday, players from the Moroccan national team had gone to donate blood to help the injured.

The province of Al Haouz, the epicenter of the earthquake, was the most severely affected, followed by Taroudant. In these two areas located southwest of the tourist city of Marrakech, the earthquake destroyed entire villages. The town of Tafeghaghte, near Al Haouz, was practically wiped off the map.