Tragedy struck on Wednesday as seven-year-old Inaayah Makda was pulled into the Atlantic Ocean while sitting on rocks near Casablanca, Morocco. Her parents, Zubair and Tasneem Makda from Blackburn, Lancashire, were also swept away but lost sight of their daughter.
The family had just started a week-long holiday when disaster hit.
Frantic Rescue Efforts Hampered by Storms
Search teams deployed drones and water scooters along the rugged coastline, but Inaayah remains missing. Stormy weather and heavy rain have made rescue operations tough. The Moroccan army has been called in to assist with flood evacuations.
Parents Plead for More Help from UK Government
“Inaayah is our only child. She’s bright, loving, and full of laughter – deeply cherished by us all,” said Zubair and Tasneem Makda in a heartfelt social media post.
“We cling to hope she might have reached safety. But if the worst has happened, we want to bring her home with dignity and closure.”
The family criticises the UK’s Foreign Office for offering only “limited practical support.” They want the government to push Moroccan authorities for a bigger, coordinated search—not to take control themselves.
“This isn’t about blame. It’s about a little girl loved and missed, and parents desperate to find her,” the statement added.
Community Rallies as MP Demands Government Action
Support has poured in, with a fundraiser hitting over £61,000. Local volunteers are key to the search, while Blackburn MP Adnan Hussain calls the case “utterly heartbreaking” and urges the Foreign Office to step up.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of a British national reported missing in Morocco and are in contact with local authorities. Our thoughts are with the family at this difficult time.”
Stay tuned for updates as the desperate search for Inaayah presses on.
