Rabat, 10 September 2023 (dpa/MIA) – The death toll from a massive earthquake in Morocco has risen to more than 2,000, with the victims to be remembered during three days of mourning, the king announced on Saturday evening.

Morocco's Interior Ministry said 2,012 people had died and 2,059 were injured, of whom 1,404 were in a serious condition.

The search continued as the death toll rose throughout the day after the earthquake that occurred late on Friday night.

"It was decided to observe three days of national mourning, flying national flags at half mast at all public facilities," a statement said after King Mohamed VI chaired a meeting with the security forces and other officials to discuss the disaster.

"The Sovereign also expressed the sincere thanks of the kingdom of Morocco to all brotherly and friendly countries that expressed their solidarity with the Moroccan people in this situation, and many of those who expressed their readiness to provide aid in these extraordinary circumstances," the statement added.

The king also gave instructions to support the nation's bloodbanks, and provide drinking water, food, tents and blankets to the areas affected.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs announced late Saturday that upon the orders of King Mohammed VI "an absentee prayer" would be held after noon prayers on Sunday in all of the country's mosques, to commemorate the victims.

In the Moroccan province of Al Haouz, the epicentre of the quake, 1,293 fatalities have been registered so far.

Teams from the Moroccan army were engaged in the search and rescue operations, according to Morocco's state news agency MAP. 

Hospitals in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh called on people to give blood, while there were still people believed to be trapped beneath the rubble.

The US Geological Survey said the quake had a magnitude of 6.8 and hit Morocco at 11 pm on Friday (2200 GMT), around 70 kilometres south-west of Marrakesh at a depth of 18.5 kilometres.

Morocco’s National Institute of Geophysics said the quake measured 7 on the Richter scale and was the most violent to have hit the country in a century.

Nasser Jabour, director of the institute, told MAP that the quake had been felt in several cities within 400 kilometres of the epicentre.

"It is the first time in a century that the institute has recorded a violent earthquake of this kind in Morocco," he said.

Hundreds of aftershocks have been recorded.

The quake caused panic among residents in Marrakesh, Agadir and other cities and was also felt in Rabat and Casablanca, local newspaper Le Matin reported.

Moroccan television broadcasts showed buildings reduced to rubble and damage to the famous red walls that surround parts of Marrakesh's historic area.

Survivors described harrowing experiences.

“We lived unprecedented seconds of horror,” said Saeed, a native of Marrakesh.

“We rushed into the street and preferred to stay out in the cold to return to our home for fear of aftershocks. I escaped death as I was about to move to a district where most buildings are old and some of them tumbled down due to the quake,” he told dpa.

People in the town of Moulay Brahim, located in Al Haouz province south of Marrakesh, were in a state of shock, local resident Ali said.

"Many of us had not gone through this experience," he said.

"We are still using simple tools available to us to remove debris and search for survivors or the dead," he added. 

Several countries have responded with offers of support, including Spain, Portugal and Israel.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, whose country suffered devastating earthquakes earlier this year, was among the many world leaders expressing sympathy.

"We stand by our Moroccan brothers and sisters with all our resources on this difficult day," Erdoğan wrote in a post on social media. 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed his sorrow.

"This is terrible news from Morocco," Scholz posted on X, formerly Twitter.

"In these difficult hours, our thoughts are with the victims of the devastating earthquake. Our condolences go out to everyone affected by this natural disaster."

German civil relief workers are preparing to potentially provide disaster assistance to Morocco.

"We are observing the situation and are currently preparing for a possible deployment," a spokesman for Germany's Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) said Saturday.

However, the spokesman said Morocco had not yet made a request for assistance.

A request for assistance could be addressed to the European Union or directly to Germany.

EU leaders said the bloc stands ready to offer help.

In Brussels, European Union leaders jointly addressed a letter to Moroccan King Mohammed VI, offering condolences.

"As close friends and partners of Morocco, we are ready to assist in any way You may deem useful," the letter read.

"We are deeply saddened by the devastating consequences of this tragic event. The European Union and its Member States stand in full solidarity with the people of Morocco in this difficult moment," it read.

In addition to the leaders of the EU's 27 member states, the letter was signed by European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Michel and von der Leyen had previously offered the EU's assistance on Saturday morning in posts published on X, formerly known as Twitter.

United Arab Emirates leader Mohammed bin Zayed directed the launch of an air bridge to deliver relief to Morocco, state news agency WAM reported.

Algeria, whose relations with Morocco have long been tense, said it had opened its airspace for relief aid deliveries to its neighbour.

The Algerian state news agency APS, quoting a presidential statement, said Algeria is "fully prepared" to offer humanitarian assistance to Morocco if Rabat requests it. 

In August 2021, Algeria cut off diplomatic ties with Morocco citing what it called "hostile acts" from Rabat.

US President Joe Biden said the United States stands by Morocco and stands "ready to provide any necessary assistance for the Moroccan people."

The last major earthquake to strike Morocco occurred in 2004, when a 6.4-magnitude earthquake killed more than 600 people.

Photo: EPA