Alwaght- The death toll from Morocco's deadliest quake in more than six decades has risen to 2,000. late on Friday, a powerful earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter Scale shook the African country.
The Interior Ministry said 2,012 people had been killed and 2,059 injured, including 1,404 in critical condition. As the rescue workers comb through the rubble, they are expected to find more injured and dead bodies stuck under the destroyed buildings.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake had a magnitude of 6.8 with an epicentre some 72 km (45 miles) southwest of Marrakech. Videos posted on social media showed buildings crumbling to rubble and dust across the city. The famous red walls surrounding the old town in UNESCO World Heritage site Marrakesh were also damaged in the earthquake.
Earthquakes are infrequent in North Africa, with a notable exception being the 1960 tremor near Agadir, which registered a magnitude of 5.8 and resulted in the tragic loss of thousands of lives.
