Race to find Morocco earthquake survivors as death toll climbs to 2,100

RESCUERS were today battling against time to find further survivors of the Moroccan earthquake as more tragic accounts of the disaster emerged and the death toll continued to rise.

- Martin Bentham

More than 2,100 people are already known to have died from Friday's 6.8 magnitude quake which devastated villages in the High Atlas Mountains, where its epicentre lay, and caused serious damage in parts of nearby Marrakesh. Many more bodies are expected to be recovered over the coming days underneath the mass of rubble.

Families and friends also continued to dig, some with bare hands, in the hope that survivors could yet be found in air pockets under the debris. The race against time came as international rescuers began to join local teams, who were said to be exhausted by their efforts so far over a desperate weekend of searching. At the same time, new accounts were revealed of the quake's lethal impact with one bereaved father,