A powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck Morocco late Friday, sending thousands running outside to avoid possible building collapses. The death toll from the earthquake has risen to 820 more than half of them in Al-Haouz and Taroudant provinces, while another 672 other people have been injured, according to media reports.
Earlier reports said there were 296 fatalities as a result of the natural disaster, which hit Morocco's High Atlas mountains late on Friday.
Preliminary readings issued by the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) indicated the quake struck at about 11:11 p.m. local time at a depth of 10 kilometers. The epicenter was registered some 77 kilometers from Marrakesh near the town of Al Haouz, where local reports detailed some residents were trapped in downed homes.
Two aftershocks measuring at magnitudes of 4.8 and 3.4 were recorded by officials.
Footage from the scene showed panicked individuals fleeing their homes for the safety of nearby plazas. Many photos have since surfaced showing buildings turned to rubble and nearby cars crushed by falling structures.
Testimonials obtained by EMSC described the quake as "scary and long" even after aftershocks rattled the region. Another individual wrote that "it was really too much in Marrakesh."
"We felt a very violent tremor, and I realised it was an earthquake," Abdelhak El Amrani, a 33-year-old in Marrakech, told French media by phone.
"I could see buildings moving. 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."
Reports have noted that the quake was felt as far away as coastal cities Rabat, Casablanca and Essaouira, as well as nearby Algeria.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed condolences to King of Morocco Mohammed VI over tragic consequences of the devastating earthquake which hit the country, according to a telegram published on Saturday on the Kremlin’s website.
"Your Majesty, please accept my sincere condolences in connection with the tragic consequences of the devastating earthquake in the central regions of your country," Putin said in the telegram.
The president also noted that Russia shares the grief of the friendly people of Morocco.