Earthquake kills over 1,000 people in Morocco

Updated interior ministry figures on Saturday showed the quake killed at least 1,037 people, the vast majority in Al-Haouz, the epicentre, and Taroudant provinces.

Another 1,204 people were injured, including 721 in critical condition, the ministry said.

A 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit Morocco Friday at 11:11 p.m. local time (2211 GMT) at a depth of 18.5 km, said the U.S. Geological Survey.

The epicenter of the earthquake was near the town of Ighil in Al Haouz Province, some 70 km southwest of Marrakesh.

The earthquake was felt in many cities across Morocco, including Rabat and Casablanca. Many houses collapsed in the cities of Taroudant and Marrakesh, local media reported.

The earthquake damaged many buildings in the old city of Marrakesh, the nearest big city to the epicenter, and many residents had to spend the night in the open space for fear of potential aftershocks, said Zhang Kai, an overseas Chinese living in Marrakesh, reported Xinhua.

Xinhua correspondents at Ouarzazate, about 190 kilometers southeast of Marrakesh, saw residents taking shelter in an open space after the earthquake.

"There have been earthquakes before, but none of them were as strong as this one," said a resident in Ouarzazate who requires anonymity.

On the way from Ouarzazate to the epicenter, rocks and rubbles from the mountains and buildings were seen scattered along the road.

Footage on social media showed part of a minaret collapsed on Jemaa el-Fna square in the historic city, stated the AFP report.

In a statement, US President Joe Biden said he was "deeply saddened by the loss of life and devastation".

Chinese leader Xi Jinping expressed "deep grief for the victims" and hope that "the Moroccan government and people will be able to overcome the impact of this disaster", according to Beijing's state media, AFP reported.

Pope Francis expressed "his profound solidarity with those who are touched in the flesh and heart by this tragedy".

The tremors were also felt in neighbouring Algeria. However, there was no damage or casualties, the Algerian Civil Defence said.

In 2004, at least 628 people lost their lives and 926 were injured in an earthquake jolted Al Hoceima in northeastern Morocco, and in 1960 a magnitude 6.7 quake in Agadir left more than 12,000 dead.

Rescuers have been sent to the quake-hit areas to search for survivors, local media reported.