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The Tragedy of Agadir

Series

Series Name
British Movietone News

Issue

Issue No.
1605
Date Released
7 Mar 1960
Stories in this Issue:
  1. 1Wolves V Barcelona
  2. 2Royal Visitors to Lahore
  3. 3The Tragedy of Agadir

Story

Story No. within this Issue
3 / 3
Summary
MOVIETONE CARD TITLE: The Tragedy of Agadir. DESCRIPTION: Our pictures show Agadir, shattered by the most terrible earthquake ever known in Morocco. It’s estimated that almost 80 per cent of the buildings in Agadir were wrecked in these few minutes of disaster. Many still lie beneath the ruins: Moroccans, French and Tourists. The luxurious Saada Hotel, close to the seafront, was totally destroyed. Many lives were lost here, but there were also a few miraculous escapes. Servicemen have been playing a leading part in the work of rescue. The toll is very great. When the first figure of about a thousand dead was given, the world was profoundly shocked. Then, reports spoke of five, even six thousand. The grim facts cannot yet be established. Disaster on such a scale demands help from all quarters, and the organisation of help has indeed been world wide, including that of the Royal Navy and the British Red Cross. The Moroccan section of Agadir suffered even more complete devastation than the newer part of the town. The scene here is pitiful indeed. SHOTLIST: Aerial shot of Agadir. LS ruins of buildings. MS crack in road. CU same (2). MS ruins in roadway. LS ruins of buildings (3). MS people looking at ruins. MS ruins (2). LS same. MS car in ruins pan to men looking through ruins. CU ruins. MS same. MS men digging up ruins. CU same. MS palm tree - pan to Saada Hotel. CU searchers on hotel roof. Pan ruins. MS people then pan to rescuers. CU man digging. MS same. CU same. MS men pulling rope. CU man carrying out corpse (2). Pan covered bodies. MS man carrying case. MS man stops and speaks to friend. MS searchers. Same - then pan to ruins. Shots of ruins. Aerial shots. People looking at ruins. Soldiers digging in rubble. People covering stretchers. CU of stretchers. Women crying. Two peasants carrying stretchers. CU of children looking. Troops collecting personal belongings from rubble. Troops digging graves. CU of stretchers. Dead laying around. Many women crying. Children drinking. Various general shots of the rubble. Aerial shots of Agadir. Ground shots of Agadir. Children. Soldiers (out of focus). Men digging graves. Shots of troops digging in the rubble, appears to be clearing. People on stretchers. Shots of ropes used for hauling people out. CU of rubble. Children. Lots of women crying. People in what appears to be a hospital, being looked after. One with head bandaged. CU of people in bed. Man with plaster over nose (in focus).
Keywords
Buildings and structures; Health and medicine; Death; Foreign aid; Displaced persons; Accidents and disasters; Military
Locations
Morocco
Footage sources
France
Card file number
79494
Credits:
Commentator
Geoffrey Sumner
Length of story (in feet)
305
Story extras:

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Name
AP Archive
Email
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Web
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Phone
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