Mayors of Loulé, Albufeira and Silves part of Algarvensis delegation
A group of Algarve mayors was caught in Morocco’s earthquake drama last night, and had to spend the night outside in the streets of Marrakech.
The group, including Loulé’s Vítor Aleixo, had travelled to the Unesco World Heritage site for the 2023 International Conference on UNESCO geoparks. T
he delegation is working on the future classification of an Algarvensis Geopark, taking in the three boroughs.
Mr Aleixo told Rádio Renascença: “each one of us managed as best we could; we wrapped up and spent the night outside, always expecting more would happen” (in the way of aftershocks).
In the hotel where the Algarve delegation was staying “people were running this way and that, trying to protect themselves”, he said.
The hotel’s management told guests “we could not stay in our rooms”, so there was no option but to decamp into the streets and spend the night under the sky.
“We are all a little depressed and sad with this whole situation”, he admitted – having already shared a post over social media describing the ‘enormous shock’ in being caught up in such a large earthquake.
Mr Aleixo added: “We are all fine and want to express our solidarity with the Moroccan people who are once again being exposed to such a harsh test of loss of life with much destruction all around”.
The group has since posted a photograph of the signing of a partnership agreement with the M’Goun Geopark, in the middle of the High Atlas mountains, with the aspirant Algarvensis Geopark. The conference was due to move on today to the M’Goun Geopark , which may well not happen, given the circumstances.
UPDATE: As this text went up online, ‘breaking news’ put the deathtoll in Morocco at ‘over 1,000″
