New shock near disaster site

25 February 2004

MADRID – A new earthquake measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale struck Wednesday  near the site of the disaster in Morocco which claimed more than 500 lives.

The National Geographic Institute said the tremor happened at 1.44pm 23 km south-west of Alhucemas, on the north Moroccan coast.
 
This latest quake was felt in Melilla, the Spanish protectorate in Africa, and in Estepona, in Andalucía, on the Spanish mainland.

At about 6.20am Wednesday another tremor was felt – along with the 70 other smaller tremors along the same stretch of coast.

They were all said to be between 3 and 4 on the Richter scale.

Meanwhile, Spain was sending Wednesday aid to Morocco in the form of water supplies and prefabricated homes in an effort to help relieve the disaster at Al-Hoceima.

The first earthquake, measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale, struck early Tuesday, killing at least 564 and making thousands homeless.

Rescue services said the city airport has become a temporary morgue as many bodies await burial.

Thousands of survivors spent Tuesday night in the open, fearing more tremours.

A big rescue operation involving the army and the Red Crescent is under way, but they have had difficulty reaching the mountain villages.

Former colonial power France is flying out rescue workers with sniffer dogs and lifting equipment, and the United Nations and the international Red Cross have teams on standby.

The US, Belgium, Germany, Portugal and Spain have all offered assistance.

Manuel Chaves, president of the Andalusian regional government, said an emergency plan was being prepared.

The EUR 2 million plan will include sending a team to help victims and prepare makeshift housing for the victims.

[Copyright EFE with Expatica]

Subject: Spanish news