THE earthquake-shattered mountain village of Imi N’Tala, near the epicentre of the disaster that hit Morocco last Friday, was rocked by aftershocks on Wednesday.

The latest tremors sent rescue workers, villagers and journalists running for safety through the rubble.

Bulldozers and responders have been digging through the wreckage around the clock in the hope of finding the eight to 10 corpses still believed to lie underneath, continuing work even as the new aftershocks struck.

The scene in Imi N’Tala, where 96 of the residents, who are mainly herders and farmers, died in earthquake, mirrors the situation in dozens of communities along the treacherous mountain roads south of Marrakech. 

The death and injury counts have risen as emergency workers have reached more of these remote villages to dig up bodies and send the injured to hospital. 

As of Wednesday, Moroccan authorities have reported 2,946 deaths and several thousand injuries, but thousands of people remain missing. 

The United Nations estimates that the magnitude 6.8 quake affected some 300,000 people.

When, following a delay, aid finally arrived in Imi N'Tala and the nearby communities of Anougal and Igourdane, white and yellow tents lined the partially paved roads, pyramids of water bottles and milk cartons were stacked nearby and Moroccans from the larger cities handed out clay tagine pots and neatly packed bags of food aid.

Morocco has limited the amount of earthquake aid allowed into the country and authorised response crews from only four countries — Spain, Britain, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar — as well as non-governmental organisations. 

Though the government cautioned that poorly co-ordinated aid “would be counterproductive,” the explanation has prompted scepticism among some Moroccans, including Brahim Ait Blasri, who watched the recovery attempts in Imi N'Tala.

“It’s not true. It’s politics,” he said, referring to Morocco’s decision not to accept aid from countries such as the United States and France. “We have to set aside our pride. This is too much.”

The mud bricks used to build homes in Imi N’Tala left little space for air that trapped people would need to survive, said Patrick Villadry of French rescue crew ULIS.

“When we dig, we look for someone alive. From there, we don’t ask ourselves questions. If they’re alive, great. If they’re dead, it’s a shame,” he said, noting that recovering the dead was important to Moroccan families.