Morocco’s Royal Air Force deployed impressive air logistics in response to Al Haouz earthquake

The Royal Moroccan Armed Forces have mobilized air logistics to assist affected areas of the Friday 8th earthquake in Morocco, according to Spanish media outlet Defensa.

The Moroccan Air Force used more than 20 helicopters in the first hours of the earthquake, along with various types of drones, allowing for rapid intervention in the affected areas .

The majority of helicopters used in rescue operations and transporting emergency supplies to survivors were the SA330 Puma and CH-47D Chinook of the Moroccan Air Force, as well as the SA330L Puma, EC225LP/AS332L2 Super Puma and EC 145.

The Air Force School base in Marrakesh served as the primary base for these helicopters as they flew between 35 and 40 missions per day to the various earthquake-affected regions spread out over an area of about 120 kilometers.

The helicopters were responsible for transporting relief equipment and food to the affected areas, as well as evacuating the injured to hospitals in Marrakesh, according to Defensa.

As for drones, the Moroccan Air Force has used drones to conduct search operations and locate survivors as well as areas damaged and blocked by landslides.

Bayraktar-TB2 played a key role in the search and rescue operation of five people working on an isolated sheep farm in the 72 hours after the earthquake.

WanderB-VTOL type drones were used in search and damage locating operations in areas near the epicenter of the earthquake.

The drone captured images are to be transmitted in real time to the armed forces’ operational command center, which coordinates rescue operations and transporting aid to areas affected by the earthquake.

Rescue teams and volunteers had difficulty quickly providing aid to those in need as the earthquake caused damage to several roads and areas in the Al Haouz region.

Intervention by the Moroccan Air Force and the Royal Gendarmerie was necessary to reach the residents of Al Haouz due to the mountainous nature of the area.

Al Haouz earthquake was considered the largest  to hit Morocco in a century, measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale.

The earthquake occurred about 70 kilometers southwest of Marrakech in Morocco and was felt across large areas of the north and northeast of the country.