A seven-year-old British girl, Inaayah Makda, is missing after being swept out to sea while sitting on rocks with her family during a holiday in Morocco.
Inaayah, from Blackburn in Lancashire, disappeared on Wednesday evening while with relatives on the coastline near Casablanca, on the first day of the family’s week-long trip.
Family members said they had been sitting on low rocks close to the shoreline watching the sunset when a sudden surge in the tide swept several people into the water. While other relatives managed to reach safety, Inaayah was carried away by the sea.
Her father, Zubair, said the tide appeared calm when the family arrived but changed rapidly. He told a local broadcaster that the water separated him from his daughter within moments and that she was swept away before he could reach her.
Relatives said Inaayah’s parents spent hours searching the shoreline and calling her name. A family member told the BBC that the tide, which had initially appeared far out, came in within around 20 minutes, catching the family by surprise.
The family has criticised the response from local authorities, claiming search efforts were limited and that relatives were left to conduct their own searches along the beach. A UK-based family member said the lack of support had been deeply distressing.
The family is understood to have hired a private search operator, including the use of a helicopter, to assist in locating the child.
Inaayah is a pupil at Roe Lee Park Primary School. A neighbour described her as a cheerful and lively child, adding that she is her parents’ only child.
Adnan Hussain said he was heartbroken by the incident and confirmed he had raised the case with the Foreign Office, adding that he planned to make direct contact with Morocco’s ambassador.
A spokesperson for the UK government said officials were supporting the family of a British national reported missing in Morocco and were in contact with local authorities as search efforts continue.