Morocco’s King Directs Earthquake Response from Paris as Disaster Unfolds

It was 12:20 am on Saturday, September 9 when Mohammed VI, on a visit to Paris, was informed of the occurrence, 10 minutes earlier, of a powerful earthquake whose epicenter was the commune of Ighil, in the High Atlas. After the first exchanges with his interlocutor on the other end of the line, the monarch measures the importance of the drama. He then asks to have the royal 747 chartered to come and pick him up, reports L’Opinion.

While waiting, the king makes several phone calls from his private hotel near the Champ-de-Mars. He exchanges in particular with his main collaborator and childhood friend, Fouad Ali el Himma, also on a visit to Paris. Through the latter, royal directives are given to accurately assess the damage. The Minister of the Interior, Abdelouafi Laftit, as well as several personalities, are mobilized for this purpose.

Mohammed VI also contacts General Mohammed Berrid, Inspector General of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) for only five months, to support the civil protection efforts. The Sovereign knows he can count on this former head of the 3rd Bureau of the General Staff of the FAR, in charge of inter-army cooperation, the establishment of field hospitals, peacekeeping, etc.

The king also asked to study the possibilities of reaching the epicenter of the earthquake with army helicopters, including the Chinook. Experts reassure him.