Tragic honeymoon: a French couple dies in the earthquake in Morocco

Younass Boukhtam, 26, and Samira Ghanmi, 22, left for their honeymoon in Marrakech and will not return to France. Their bodies were found in the rubble following the powerful earthquake that struck part of Morocco on September 8, killing more than 2,862 people and injuring 2,501. These two residents of Meaux (Seine-et-Marne) are among the four French victims of the disaster. "The first shock was the announcement of the earthquake. When we learned about it, we started trying to contact our faithful who were in Morocco to get news of them, remembers Radoine Khorchi, 43, president of the Al Badr Islamic Center Association that manages the mosque, to Le Parisien. We tried not to dramatize right away while waiting for definite news."

While the family of the mosque’s volunteer couple who remained in Meaux was anxious, a photo of the newlyweds was posted on social media in the form of a missing persons notice. It was removed a few moments later. "It was particularly hard for them who were in anguish," exclaims Zeynab, 23, a volunteer at the place of worship. A few hours later, the couple’s relatives and friends learn the sad news. "Samira’s phone was geolocated on Saturday on a site near Marrakech where there were only debris from the buildings. The bodies of the two newlyweds were pulled from the rubble a few hours later," Radoine Khorchi whispers. The couple’s relatives immediately went to the site, the two victims being originally from Oujda, a city located in eastern Morocco.

In Meaux, the emotion was great. "Since the announcement, we’ve gone through all the phases: denial, anger, incomprehension. They were both very involved in the life of the mosque. I was closer to Samira who always had a smile. She participated with me in the activities of the women’s pole of the mosque. She often took care of the preparation of pastries. She had a certain aura. Samira had the trust of the teenage girls in the association, who listened to her," details Zeynab. "He was a very kind and very respectful person. Everyone liked him, especially the old faithful of the mosque. He came to the morning prayer all the time. He was a very devout person. My brother was friends with him, and he was someone who always pulled others up. [...] When his friends from the neighborhood learned of his death, they took the plane directly," describes Younass, an automotive entrepreneur.

The funeral of Younass and Samira took place on Monday in Morocco. The Al Badr mosque intends to pay tribute to the couple in the coming days and provide support to the survivors. "We are waiting to be able to coordinate with the town hall to organize a joint event," says Radoine Khorchi.