The Hôtel Saada, built only five years ago, collapsed entirely, going down as the ground opened under it. The Mahraba, where Smith and Garrett were staying, split down the centre but remained drunkenly upright, masonry from it falling all over the garden. The Préfecture, opposite the Saada but built on seismic-resisting principles, stood alone among the ruins round it. (Though, its being Ramadan, most of the police force were on leave and were killed piecemeal in cafés and in their own homes.) The hospital totally collapsed, as did the Chamber of Commerce and the Post Office. The Casino fell upon itself but, being built of wood, caused less injury to those still gambling, except for the unlucky few who were under the chandelier. The new central market – not yet opened – went with the rest. The Taborit quarter, where thousands of Moroccans lived in blocks of flats, was laid waste. In the walled Kasbah on the hill its entire population of six hundred people were buried.
