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At least 1,000 people were killed in the earthquake that struck Morocco on Friday evening, the Interior Ministry said in first its casualty report.
Morocco’s Interior Ministry said the number of casualties was likely to continue rising from the current estimate of 1,037. Beyond the injured were others unaccounted for after one of the strongest quakes to hit the nation in almost a century.
Most of the damage occurred in small towns and villages dotting the High Atlas Mountains, outside of Marrakech and Taroudant. Many homes in those areas are made of adobe and can be hard to access.
The tremors were felt in the capital Rabat, as well as other cities, including Marrakesh, Casablanca, Agadir, and Kenitra. Many residents fled their homes and stayed on the streets overnight, helping to clear the rubble.
Videos posted to social media show that multiple buildings were damaged, and some destroyed entirely.
A mosque was reportedly damaged near Jemaa el-Fnaa square in Marrakesh’s Old City, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, as well as other historical buildings in the area.
Other videos show residents running in fear after feeling the tremors.
Morocco’s National Institute of Geophysics measured the earthquake at 7.0 magnitude, with the epicenter in Al Haouz Province.