More than 2,000 people have died as a result of a major earthquake in Morocco, with a similar number injured.
According to the interior ministry, over 1,400 people have been seriously injured, with the majority of casualties occurring in areas directly south of Marrakesh.
King Mohammed VI declared three days of national mourning and directed that survivors be provided with shelter, food, and other necessities.
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Many individuals are staying out in the open for a second night.
On Friday night, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Marrakesh and other nearby cities. Entire settlements have been reported to have been obliterated in distant mountain locales.
The epicenter was in the High Atlas Mountains, 71 kilometers (44 miles) southwest of Marrakesh, a renowned tourist destination with a world heritage designation.
The earthquakes were felt in Rabat, 350 kilometers away, as well as Casablanca, Agadir, and Essaouira.
According to the interior ministry, the province of Al Haouz has the greatest death toll, followed by Taroudant. Marrakesh has much fewer fatalities, despite the fact that the Unesco-protected old city has been severely damaged.
Many modest mud brick, stone, and timber dwellings in mountain villages are expected to have collapsed, but the extent of devastation in remote locations will take some time to assess.
Flags will be flown at half-mast on all public buildings in the country for the next three days, according to a statement from the royal palace.
The king has directed that the armed forces aid rescue teams, and Moroccans are donating blood as part of the country’s attempt to assist victims.
It was Morocco’s deadliest earthquake since a 6.7-magnitude quake struck Agadir in 1960, killing over 12,000 people.
The earthquake on Friday was also the biggest violent to strike Morocco in almost a century.
The UN said it was ready to support Morocco’s government in its rescue attempts, and similar commitments have come from Spain, France, and Israel.
Algeria, which has had a tense relationship with Morocco in recent years, is suddenly opening its airspace to humanitarian planes to Morocco.
