I feared our hotel room would split in half during Moroccan earthquake – it was horrific, says football hero Alan Rough
Football legend Alan Rough has told how he thought his hotel room in Morocco would split in half during a deadly earthquake.
The former Scotland goalkeeper and his wife Maggie were holidaying at a resort just four miles from the city of Marrakech.
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But on Friday evening the couple had to run for their lives when a massive 7.2 magnitude quake struck at 11pm.
The earthquake, whose epicenter was high in the mountains about 40 miles away, was the strongest in the country in 120 years and was felt as far away as Portugal.
Over 2,000 people died in the disaster and just as many were injured.
Alan, 71, was in a state of shock at the devastation at the resort where they were staying.
He told that Daily record: “For 30 seconds I thought the room was going to split in two.
“There was a terrible rumbling and then the whole room shook. It seemed like it would never stop.”
“There were loose items strewn all over the room. It was chaos. I really didn’t think the walls would stay up.”
“It’s a terrible feeling because there’s nothing you can do, there’s nothing you can control.”
Fearing an aftershock, Alan and Maggie fled into the street with residents and other tourists.
The tremors lasted several seconds and an aftershock of magnitude 4.9 was recorded 19 minutes later.
The city of Marrakesh was shaken, but villages in the remote High Atlas Mountains suffered the brutal devastation.
Alan and Maggie arrived in Morocco last week for a two week holiday.
Journalist Maggie, 69, said the ordeal was “so scary” and thought of her children.
She added: “It’s a strange experience being in an earthquake because you need a moment to understand what’s happening. And you don’t expect the noise.”
“Then when you realize what’s happening, it’s so scary and you just want to get out.
“I don’t know if I was worried about my life, but I was thinking about my children.”
Maggie now fears for the locals she made friends with during her stay.
In the hours after the quake, the Moroccan Interior Ministry said there were fears the number of deaths would continue to rise.
Many of the victims were in and south of Marrakesh.
Injured people from surrounding areas streamed into Marrakesh to be treated.
Flights to and from Marrakech and Edinburgh Airport are expected to operate today.
Ryanair said there are currently no plans to operate emergency flights to bring tourists back to the UK.
Last night First Minister Humza Yousaf said: “I am very sorry to hear this terrible news. My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Morocco and Moroccans in Scotland and around the world.”
“We stand with you in this hour of need.”
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