Morocco has declared three days of national mourning after a devastating earthquake late Friday night claimed the lives of 2,000 people.
Flags will fly at half-mast on all public facilities during the national mourning, according to a statement released by the Royal Office after Moroccan King Mohammed VI chaired a meeting on the disaster, Xinhua news agency reported.
A 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit Morocco Friday at 11:11 p.m. local time at a depth of 18.5 km, said the United States Geological Survey. The epicentre of the earthquake was near the town of Ighil in Al Haouz Province, some 70 km southwest of Marrakesh.
The quake has claimed the lives of 2,012 people and injured 2,059, with 1,404 of them in serious condition, according to the latest update from the country's Interior Ministry on Saturday.
Morocco has not experienced a disaster of this magnitude since 2004 when a 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit the port city of Al Hoceima, killing around 630 people.
The Moroccan state TV said the majority of casualties in the earthquake were from the remote and inaccessible mountainous regions near the epicentre, with damaged roads further hindering rescue efforts.
Rescuers have been sent to the quake-hit areas to search for survivors, local media reported. TV footage showed rescuers digging through rubbles and debris in an effort to save survivors.
The earthquake was felt in many cities across Morocco, including the capital Rabat and Casablanca. Numerous houses collapsed in the cities of Taroudant and Marrakesh, local media reported.
Rows of buildings were levelled to the ground in Imlil, a small village in the High Atlas mountains about 60 km south of Marrakesh, video footage showed.
"There have been earthquakes before, but none of them were as strong as this one," said a resident who requires anonymity.
On the way from Ouarzazate to the epicentre, rocks and rubbles from the mountains and buildings were seen scattered along the road.
PM inaugurates Charlapalli Railway Terminal in Hyderabad for regional development
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday virtually inaugurated the Charlapalli Railway Terminal in Hyderabad and said this would accelerate regional development. It is the fourth terminal station in Telangana after Secunderabad, Hyderabad and Kacheguda.
8 jawans, driver killed as Maoists blow up security vehicle in Chhattisgarh
In the most gruesome Maoist attack in the New Year, eight jawans and a driver have been killed after the rebels blew up a security vehicle in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, police sources said on Monday.
Historic milestone in J&K's integration into national railway network, says PM Modi
"The inauguration of the Jammu railway division is a historic milestone in the integration of J&K into the national railway network as also in the development of infrastructure and connectivity of J&K," he said.
Protesting farmers have agreed to hold talks with court-appointed panel: Punjab govt tells SC
The Punjab government on Monday apprised the Supreme Court that the farmers protesting at the Punjab-Haryana border have agreed to hold talks with the court-appointed panel.
Atishi breaks down at press conference, says Ramesh Bidhuri is abusing her father
With tears in her eyes, an emotionally disturbed Delhi Chief Minister Atishi on Monday hit out at BJP candidate from Kalkaji seat Ramesh Bidhuri for stooping so low to attack his 80-year-old educationist father.
GRP arrested 35 human traffickers in Tripura in 5 months
The Government Railway Police (GRP) arrested 35 human traffickers in the last five months in Tripura for facilitating illegal entry of Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingyas into India, officials said on Monday.
23 injured in two separate road accidents in Tripura
At least 10 students and a woman suffered breathing problems and six of them immediately shifted to the government-run Govind Ballabh Pant Medical College and Hospital and their condition stated to be not serious.
Abhinaba Banik to represent Tripura in National Youth festival 2025 as state youth icon student-scientist
The Directorate of Youth Affairs & Sports of Tripura government has nominated Abhinaba Banik to represent the state as State Youth Icon Student-Scientist at the National Youth Festival.