New, Earthquake-proof Agadir Being Built

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29766, 8 March 1962, Page 18

New, Earthquake-proof Agadir Being Built

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

LONDON, March 7. Two years after the earthquake which killed half of its population, the Moroccan seaport of Agadir is again a thriving community, says the “Daily Telegraph” representative who has been inspecting the progress of plans to restore the city to the fashionable tourist centre it was before it was devastated. A year ago, he says, Agadir was still little more than a shanty town. Four thousand people were living in tents and 16,080 others lived in prefabricated houses, or were given refuge in nearby villages. The whole of the first year was spent in clearing thousands of tons of rubble. Now no-one lives in tents. Some 2000 prefabricated houses have been built, as well as 500 permanent homes, and all public services have returned to normal. At the moment it is merely an industrial town, but now that the essentials have been restored attention is being

turned to the building of a new modern town. This will cost at least £2OOO million and will have little or no resemblance to the old Agadir. It will be slightly down the coast, and plans prepared by a team of American, French and Moroccan architects provide for a garden city. Only villa-type houses will be built, public buildings will not exceed two storeys’ and all will be of special construction to resist earthquakes. The centre of the city will be ultramodern in design, but will reflect the Moroccan style. There will be ornamental pools in the main square, modern shopping arcades, and first-class hotels. A monument topped by a star will commemorate the 20,000 earthquake victims. It will stand near the main road not far from the mass graves. The sum of £57 million, contributed from all over the world for the reconstruction, is being reserved for hospitals, schools and welfare centres.