A rare, powerful earthquake struck Morocco, the Interior Ministry said 2,012 people had been killed and 2,059 injured, including 1,404 in critical condition.
The toll was expected to rise as rescuers struggled to reach hard-hit remote areas. The country’s royal palace has declared three days of national mourning.
The magnitude 6.8 quake, the biggest to hit the North African country in 120 years, sent people fleeing their homes in terror and disbelief late Friday.
One man said dishes and wall hangings began raining down, and people were knocked off their feet. The quake brought down walls made from stone and masonry, covering whole communities with rubble. Remote villages like those in the drought-stricken Ouargane Valley were largely cut off from the world when they lost electricity and cellphone service.
The epicentre was in the High Atlas Mountains, 71km (44 miles) south-west of Marrakesh. “Violent” tremors were felt in several areas of the country from Casablanca to Marrakesh, where many buildings have been destroyed or severely damaged.
