Morocco quake: Real Madrid attempt to locate orphaned boy
Morocco quake: Real Madrid attempt to locate orphaned boy
Real Madrid is reportedly seeking to lend a helping hand to Moroccan teenager Abderrahim, who lost many members of his family during the devastating earthquake.
2 min read
Almost 3,000 people have been killed by the 8 September earthquake in Morocco's High Atlas Mountains [Getty]
Spanish football giants Real Madrid are reportedly attempting to locate and rescue a young Moroccan boy orphaned by Friday's devastating earthquake, after he appeared on television wearing the club's famed white jersey.
The Le Liga side is currently working to bring the teenager Abderrahim to Spain so he can continue his studies after the weekend's devastating earthquake killed his family, the Spanish sports programme El Chiringuito reported on Wednesday.
The programme’s host, Josep Pedrerol, said: "Real Madrid is trying to locate this child to provide assistance to him, and he may be taken to Spain."
The Spanish sports website, Marca, also seemingly confirmed Real's bid to help the young Moroccan.
Speaking to an Arabic-language broadcaster this week, Abderrahim said that he lost his father, mother, two brothers, and grandfather, who all tried to escape from their home as the earthquake occurred.
When asked about his future, the young Moroccan boy said he wants to fulfil his father’s dream of continuing his studying. "My father wanted me to become a doctor or a teacher," he expressed, as he struggled to hold back his tears.
"I just want to continue my studies," he said about his future.
Many areas in the High Atlas Mountains were hit by a shocking 6.8-magnitude earthquake on Friday night, wiping out entire villages, damaging historic landmarks and killing at least 2,946 people.
Another 5,674 people were also injured, with many in critical condition.
Most of the deceased were residents of douars, villages, and towns in Al-Haouz, Taroudant, and Chichaoua provinces, which lay south of the historic city of Marrakech.
The earthquake is said to be the largest instrumentally recorded in Morocco’s history, and the deadliest since the 1960 Agadir quake which left between 12,000 and 15,000 people dead.
Real Madrid, one of the most renowned teams worldwide, had expressed solidarity with Morocco when the earthquake struck late last week, extending its condolences to the families of the deceased and the Moroccan people.
"Likewise, we wish the injured a speedy recovery and we transmit all of our strength and affections," the club continued in an official statement posted on social media.
Spain was one of the few countries Morocco accepted aid from.
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