Rubble and grief: Morocco’s High Atlas marks one year since record earthquake

IMI N'TALA, Morocco (AP) — The rescue crews and bystanders are long gone but the remnants of homes still sit in piles off to the side of the jagged roads.

A year after nearly 3,000 people died when a record earthquake shook communities throughout Morocco's High Atlas, it still looks like a bomb just went off in villages like Imi N'tala, where dozens of residents died after a chunk of mountainside cracked off and flattened the majority of buildings.

Broken bricks, bent rods of rebar and pieces of kitchen floors remain but have been swept into neater piles alongside plastic tents where the displaced now live. Some await funds to reconstruct their homes. Others await approval of their blueprints.

The region shaken by the earthquake is full of impoverished agricultural villages like Imi N’tala, accessible only via bumpy, unmaintained roads. Associated Press reporters revisited half a dozen of them last week ahead of the first anniversary.

In some places, residents who say they're awaiting governmental action have begun reconstructing buildings on an ad hoc basis. Elsewhere, people tired of the stuffiness of plastic tents have moved back into their cracked homes or decamped to larger cities, abandoning their old lives.

Streets have been neatly swept in towns like Amizmiz and Moulay Brahim, although cracked buildings and piles of rubble remain, much as they were in the days after the quake.

The rhythms of normal life have somewhat resumed in some of the province’s larger towns, where rebuilding efforts on roads, homes, schools and businesses are underway and some residents have been provided metal container homes. But many of those displaced from the more than 55,000 homes destroyed by the temblor remain vulnerable to summer’s heat and winter’s cold, living in plastic tents, impatient to return.

Mohamed Soumer, a 69-year-old retiree who lost his son in last year's earthquake, is angry because local authorities have forbidden him from rebuilding his home on the same steep mountainside due to safety concerns. He now spends his days with his wife in a plastic tent near his now-rubbled home and fears moving elsewhere and restarting his life in a larger, more expensive area.

“Residents want to stay here because they have land where they grow vegetables to make a living,” he said. “If they go somewhere else and abandon this place, they will not be able to live there.”

The government early on promised households monthly stipends in the aftermath of the earthquake and additional funds for seismically safe reconstruction. It said last week that both had been provided to the majority of eligible families and households.

“Specific solutions are being deployed on the ground for difficult cases,” Morocco's Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.

But on the ground, its disbursal has been uneven, residents say, with many still waiting for funds or reconstruction to commence.

Anger has mounted against local authorities in towns like Amizmiz and villages like Talat N'Yaqoub, where residents have protested against their living conditions. They have criticized the slow pace of reconstruction and demanded more investment in social services and infrastructure, which has long gone neglected in contrast with Morocco's urban centers and coastline.

Officials have said rebuilding will cost 120 billion dirhams ($12 billion) and take about five years. The government has rebuilt some stretches of rural roads, health centers and schools but last week the commission tasked with reconstruction acknowledged the need to speed up some home rebuilding.

In this combination of photos, people set up rugs for prayer outside a mosque damaged in an earthquake in the town of Amizmiz, Morocco, outside Marrakech, Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023, and the same view on Sept. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

In this combination of photos, a man drives past damage from an earthquake in the town of Amizmiz, Morocco, near Marrakech, Sept. 10, 2023 and people walking down the same street on Sept. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

In this combination of photos, a man walks on a damaged road after an earthquake in the town of Amizmiz, Morocco, outside Marrakech, Sept. 10, 2023, and people shopping for food at the same area on Sept. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

In this combination of photos, tents are set up to shelter people displaced by an earthquake in the town of Amizmiz, Morocco, outside Marrakech, Sept. 10, 2023, and the same area on Sept. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

In this combination of photos, an earthquake-damaged hotel in Moulay Brahim village, Morocco, near Marrakech, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, and the same view on Sept. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

In this combination of photos, a man inspects damage caused by earthquake in the town of Amizmiz, Morocco, outside Marrakech, Sept. 10, 2023, and a man driving past the same street on Sept. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

In this combination of photos, people walk past the wreckage caused an earthquake in the town of Imi N'tala, Morocco, outside Marrakech, Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023, and the same road on Sept. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

In this combination of photos, a man runs to his home which was damaged by an earthquake in the town of Amizmiz, Morocco, near Marrakech, Sept. 10, 2023, and the same road on Sept. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

In this combination of photos, people carry possessions as they leave homes which were damaged by an earthquake, in Amizmiz, Morocco, outside Marrakech, Sept. 10, 2023, and the same street on Sept. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

In this combination of photos, people walk past damage from an earthquake in the town of Amizmiz, near Marrakech, Sept. 10, 2023, and a boy driving down the same road on Sept. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

In this combination of photos, a team attempts to recover the body of a woman who was killed an earthquake in the town of Imi N'tala, Morocco, outside Marrakech, Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023, and the wreckage of the same home on Sept. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

In this combination of photos, people walk past damage from an earthquake in the town of Amizmiz, Morocco, outside Marrakech, Sept. 10, 2023, and the same street on Sept. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

In this combination of photos, people recover a washing machine from their home damaged by an earthquake in the town of Amizmiz, Morocco, outside Marrakech, Sept. 10, 2023, and the same view on Sept. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

In this combination of photos, a man walks on a damaged road after an earthquake in the town of Amizmiz, Morocco, outside Marrakech, Sept. 10, 2023, and people shopping for food at the same area on Sept. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

In this combination of photos, a man looks at damage from an earthquake in the town of Amizmiz, Morocco, outside Marrakech, Sept. 10, 2023, and a man driving past the same street on Sept. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

In this combination of photos, a man drives past earthquake damage in the town of Amizmiz, Morocco, near Marrakech, Sept. 10, 2023, and people walking down the same street on Sept. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

People shop for food at a busy area that was affected by the 2023 earthquake, in the town of Amizmiz, outside Marrakech, Morocco, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

A man drives past a building which was affected by the 2023 earthquake, in the town of Amizmiz, outside Marrakech, Morocco, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

People walk past buildings which were affected by the 2023 earthquake, in the town of Amizmiz, outside Marrakech, Morocco, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

Among the last words heard from the crew of an experimental submersible headed for the wreck of the Titanic were “all good here,” according to a visual re-creation of the journey of the Titan before it imploded, killing all five on board.

The U.S. Coast Guard presented the animation Monday on the first day of what is expected to be a two-week hearing on the causes of the implosion. Crew aboard the Titan were communicating via text messages with staff aboard the support ship Polar Prince, according to the presentation.

The crew lost contact after an exchange of texts about the submersible's depth and weight as it descended. The Polar Prince then sent repeated messages asking if the Titan could still see the ship on its onboard display. One of Titan’s final responses, which became spotty as it descended, was “all good here.”

The Titan imploded on June 18, 2023, setting off a worldwide debate about the future of private undersea exploration.

The Titan was left exposed to the elements while in storage for seven months in 2022 and 2023, Coast Guard representatives said in their initial remarks Monday. The hull was also never reviewed by any third parties as is standard procedure, they said. That and the submersible's unconventional design subjected the Titan to scrutiny in the undersea exploration community.

The ongoing Marine Board of Investigation is the highest level of marine casualty investigation conducted by the Coast Guard. When the hearing concludes, recommendations will be submitted to the Coast Guard's commandant. The National Transportation Safety Board is also conducting an investigation.

“There are no words to ease the loss endured by the families impacted by this tragic incident,” said Jason Neubauer of the Coast Guard Office of Investigations, who led the hearing. “But we hope that this hearing will help shed light on the cause of the tragedy and prevent anything like this from happening again.”

Among those killed was Stockton Rush, co-founder of OceanGate, the Washington state company that owned the Titan. The company suspended operations after the implosion.

The hearing's first witness, OceanGate's former engineering director, Tony Nissen, testified Monday that Rush could be difficult to work for and was often very concerned with costs and project schedules, among other issues. Nissen also said that initially, he had “no idea they wanted to go to the Titanic.”

Nissen said Rush would fight for what he wanted, which often changed day to day. He said he tried to keep his clashes with Rush behind closed doors so that others in the company wouldn't be aware.

“Most people would eventually just back down to Stockton,” he said.

Also scheduled to speak were the company's former finance director, Bonnie Carl; and former contractor Tym Catterson.

Some key OceanGate representatives are not scheduled to testify. They include Rush's widow, Wendy Rush, who was the company's communications director.

The Coast Guard does not comment on the reasons for not calling specific individuals to a particular hearing during ongoing investigations, said Melissa Leake, a spokesperson for the Coast Guard. She added that it's common for a Marine Board of Investigation to “hold multiple hearing sessions or conduct additional witness depositions for complex cases.”

Scheduled to appear later in the hearing are OceanGate co-founder Guillermo Sohnlein; former operations director, David Lochridge; and former scientific director, Steven Ross, according to a list compiled by the Coast Guard. Numerous guard officials, scientists, and government and industry officials are also expected to testify. The U.S. Coast Guard subpoenaed witnesses who were not government employees, Leake said.

OceanGate has no full-time employees at this time but will be represented by an attorney during the hearing, the company said in a statement. The company has been fully cooperating with the Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board investigations since they began, the statement said.

The implosion also killed veteran Titanic explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet; two members of a prominent Pakistani family, Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood; and British adventurer Hamish Harding.

The Titan lost contact with its support vessel about two hours after it made its final dive later. When it was reported overdue, rescuers rushed ships, planes and other equipment to an area about 435 miles (700 kilometers) south of St. John’s, Newfoundland.

The search for the submersible attracted worldwide attention, as it became increasingly unlikely that anyone could have survived the implosion. Wreckage of the Titan was subsequently found on the ocean floor about 330 yards (300 meters) off the bow of the Titanic, Coast Guard officials said.

The time frame for the investigation was initially a year, but the inquiry has taken longer. The Coast Guard said in July that the hearing would delve into “all aspects of the loss of the Titan,” including both mechanical considerations as well as compliance with regulations and crewmember qualifications.

This story has been edited to clarify that “all good here” was one of the last things heard from the submersible, not necessarily the very last thing heard.

Coast Guard's Thomas Whalen, left, speaks with Nicole Emmons, right, during a break for the Titan marine board formal hearing inside the Charleston County Council Chambers, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in North Charleston, S.C. (AP Photo/Mic Smith)

Coast Guard's Thomas Whalen speaks with another Coast Guard member during a break for the Titan marine board formal hearing inside the Charleston County Council Chambers, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in North Charleston, S.C. (AP Photo/Mic Smith)

Jason Neubauer, board chairman, of the investigative board for the Titan marine board formal hearing pauses for a moment of silence inside the Charleston County Council Chambers Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in North Charleston, S.C. (AP Photo/Mic Smith)

Coast Guard members of the investigative board for the Titan marine board formal hearing pause for a moment of silence inside the Charleston County Council Chambers Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in North Charleston, S.C. (AP Photo/Mic Smith)

Coast Guard members of the investigative board for the Titan marine board formal hearing take an oath inside the Charleston County Council Chambers Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in North Charleston, S.C. (AP Photo/Mic Smith)

FILE - This undated image provided by OceanGate Expeditions in June 2021 shows the company's Titan submersible. (OceanGate Expeditions via AP, File)