Death Toll Jumps to Over 1,000 in Morocco After 6.8 Earthquake Strikes

The death toll is likely to grow as rescuers push further into inaccessible mountain regions.

Temblors were felt as far away as Portugal and Algeria, while most deaths occurred in the vicinity of the historic city of Marrakech and the five provinces nearest to the epicenter.

At 11:11 p.m., an earthquake hit, followed by another tremor 19 minutes later.

“The quake brought down walls made from stone and masonry not designed to withstand quakes, covering whole communities with rubble and leaving residents picking their way precariously through remains. Rescuers worked through the night to find survivors buried in the dusty ruins,” the Associated Press reports.

The report added, “A tent typically used for celebrations was being erected for shelter in the square of the impoverished mountain community of Moulay Brahim, where homes made of clay and brick were largely left uninhabitable. Fathers sobbed into phones telling loved ones about losing their children. Bodies covered with blankets lay in the health center next to a mosque as doctors pulled shards from people’s feet and treated surface wounds.”

Many roads are impassable due to automobiles and fallen rocks, despite the fact that the Moroccan military has deployed aid efforts.

An earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale killed hundreds of people in Agadir, Morocco, in 1960.