It felt like there were dragons under the floor.

That害羞草研究所檚 how Nelson resident Fiona Richards describes the Sept. 8 earthquake in Morocco.

害羞草研究所淭hey were just lifting the tiles and moving it around and the walls were shaking,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淚t felt like the floor was moving under our feet. It was terrifying.害羞草研究所�

As of Tuesday morning more than 2,900 people were killed in by the 6.8-scale earthquake and 5,500 injured, mostly in the Atlas Mountains about 70 kilometres south of the city of Marrakesh.

Richards, her husband and two friends had just arrived in Marrakesh and checked into a guest house in the Medina, the oldest part of the ancient city.

害羞草研究所淲e were having a drink and having a laugh. We hadn害羞草研究所檛 seen our friends in a long time. It was so nice, it was hot. And we could hear the call to prayer. It was just so exciting.害羞草研究所�

Then the rumbling started.

They huddled under a stone arch doorway in the kitchen, covering their heads with their arms.

害羞草研究所淵ou could hear the buildings creaking and stretching 害羞草研究所� it was more of a feeling than the sound to be honest. But you could hear the screaming of the people because everything is so close together here. The streets are barely eight feet wide, if that.害羞草研究所�

Richards guesses the shaking lasted 30 seconds.

The arch held and their building remained largely intact, but with large cracks in the walls. They were surprised to come out uninjured.

Their Moroccan neighbours all ran out into the street, she said, because they know their buildings will collapse during an earthquake, and many of them did. The Canadian advice to stand under a doorway in an earthquake is unheard of in Morocco.

They decided to stay in their courtyard, which is open to the sky, then later went to bed. Their Moroccan neighbours all slept in the streets, parks and squares, in fear of further shaking.

The next morning she saw a lot of structural damage and few people with injuries.

害羞草研究所淪ome of them had bandages, but you know, they were walking around, they were going to work.害羞草研究所�

Richards said it was impossible to know what was happening beyond her immediate block because of the very narrow streets in the Medina. But there was no search and rescue, no stretchers and ambulances.

The next day they walked further afield and saw many people with wheelbarrows, shovels, donkeys and carts, moving the rubble from buildings that had uneven damage 害羞草研究所� some buildings destroyed, others intact, and 害羞草研究所渟ome of them hanging by a thread.害羞草研究所�

Should we leave?

They wondered if they should leave the country.

Richards asked a Moroccan couple who acted as guides for residents of their guest house. French is spoken by most Moroccans, and Richards and her husband and friends speak French, so they were able to have detailed conversations.

害羞草研究所淲e said, 害羞草研究所楽hould we leave? Is it disrespectful if we stay?害羞草研究所� And they said, 害羞草研究所楴o, don害羞草研究所檛 go, the people need you here.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟

They needed them to stay and be tourists. That害羞草研究所檚 how most of the people in the Medina survive.

Richards tweeted about the earthquake and was immediately contacted by various Canadian media sources. Her message to the world was, 害羞草研究所淚f you were planning to come to Morocco, these people need you.害羞草研究所�

Most of the damage and fatalities are in the villages near the epicentre in the Atlas Mountains, she said. In Marrakesh, there is damage and people are scared, but mostly they are trying to get on with their lives and businesses.

But the tourists have disappeared. In their guest house, the next three booked tourists had cancelled, so the owner has no income for the near future, and it is the same throughout the Medina.

Richards says she害羞草研究所檚 buying from stores and market stalls and not haggling, and is met with nothing but appreciation: 害羞草研究所淭hank you for being here. We really need you.害羞草研究所�

She is critical of the international media for scaring people away from all of Morocco rather than one rural part of it.

害羞草研究所淚f they actually came here and spoke to the people in Marrakesh, they would see that the people are back at it, they害羞草研究所檙e making their orange juice or making their coffees, they害羞草研究所檝e got all their stuff out. And people are shopping and they害羞草研究所檙e praying when the call to prayer comes on.害羞草研究所�

Richards and her husband and friends are leaving for Spain on Sept. 13. They would like to stay longer, she said, but flights are hard to get because schedules are disrupted.

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bill.metcalfe@nelsonstar.com
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