At least 820 people were killed and 672 others injured following a powerful earthquake that struck Morocco, the country's Interior Ministry said Saturday.
Fatalities from the magnitidue-7 quake occurred in various regions, including Al Haouz and Marrakesh provinces, as well as the cities of Ouarzazate, Azilal, Chichaoua and Taroudant, Morocco's Royal Armed Forces wrote on X, citin g the interior minister.
Local media said the quake was recorded in Al Haouz province within the Marrakech region, occurring at around 11.10 p.m. local time on Friday.
Several aftershocks were subsequently felt across a significant part of the country, affecting cities such as Casablanca, Rabat and Agadir. World leaders have been offering their solidarity with Morocco over the disaster.
Pleas for help
The epicenter was 75 kilometers (46.6 miles) southeast of Marrakech, striking at a depth of 18.5 kilometers.
Morocco's National Seismic Monitoring and Alert Network assessed the earthquake at magnitude-7 on the Richter scale.
Videos on social media captured the immediate aftermath and showed residents spilling out onto the streets.
The situation is particularly dire in the Marrakech region, where numerous houses have collapsed and residents trapped under debris, Anadolu news agency reports. These distressing scenes have been corroborated by multiple videos showing pleas for help on social media.
Beyond Morocco
Morocco's Royal Armed Forces are issuing warnings to citizens, urging them to exercise caution and directing them toward safe areas to shield them from aftershocks.
The tremor was felt not only across Morocco but also in neighboring Algeria and Mauritania. The earthquake was also felt in Portugal.
In 2004, at least 628 people were killed and 926 injured when a quake hit Al Hoceima in northeastern Morocco.
The 1980, the 7.3-magnitude El Asnam earthquake in neighbouring Algeria was one of the largest and most destructive earthquakes in recent history. It killed 2,500 people and left at least 300,000 homeless.
