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AT least 296 people have died after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake rocked Morocco, turning historic landmarks to rubble.
The quake struck just after 11pm local time on Friday and sent people running from buildings in the streets of Marrakech.
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The earthquake registered as a 6.8 on the Richter Scale at 11.11pm local time, according to The US Geological Survey.
The shaking lasted several seconds and a 4.9-magnitude aftershock was recorded 19 minutes later.
The quake’s epicenter was in the Atlas Mountains, just over 40 miles south of Marrakech, according to the Geological Survey.
The epicenter was also near Oukaimeden, a popular ski resort, and Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa.
In the hours after the quake, Morocco’s Interior Ministry said that at least 296 people were dead with fears that the number would rise.
Another 153 people were injured and being treated at local hospitals.
Many of the victims were in and south of Marrakesh.
There are also smaller mountain towns closer to the epicenter that officials have not yet shared updates on.
WIDESPREAD DAMAGE
Buildings and historical landmarks have been reduced to rubble with photos showing bricks covering cars and streets.
Parts of the red walls surrounding the old city, a UNESCO World Heritage site, have been damaged, according to CBS News.
However, the ministry said that most of the damage was recorded outside of towns and cities.
Officials are continuing to examine the extent of the destruction.
People were seen fleeing restaurants and buildings as the quake hit.
“I could see buildings moving,” Abdelhak El Amrani told the Agence France-Presse.
“We don’t necessarily have the reflexes for this type of situation. Then I went outside and there were a lot of people there. People were all in shock and panic.
“The children were crying and the parents were distraught.”
Crowds stood in the street instead of retreating inside in case it was unsafe.
Meanwhile, local media reported that rescue efforts were slowed by traffic jams on roads leading to the mountain region as the streets around the epicenter were blocked with collapsed rock.
The earthquake, a relatively rare occurrence in North Africa, was felt as far away as Portugal and Algeria.
Morocco experienced another devastating earthquake in 2004, when at least 628 people were killed and 926 injured in Al Hoceima in the northeastern portion of the country.
And in 1980, a 7.3-magnitude quake hit neighboring Algeria, killing 2,500 and leaving 300,000 homeless.
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