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Eleven athletes, all of them teenagers, perished in a drowning accident on an ungauarded beach near Rabat, the nation’s capital. Part of an organised sports tour from the town of Benslimane, about 60km from the capital, the teens were part of a 46-strong group involved in the outing.
The majority of the group was comprised of teenage girls, most of them in the 12-17 age bracket.
Rescue operations, which included two choppers and several groups deployed to search at sea, recovered six bodies. Five are still missing and for now have been presumed dead.
Two people have been rescued from drowning.
No clear reason has been given as to why and how they drowned, although investigations into the matter are ongoing. Authorities released a statement to that effect soon after the news was announced.
