Deadly earthquake hits Morocco near Marrakech — in pictures

People watch from a safe distance as emergency response workers search for survivors. On Sunday, the Arabic-language Moroccan online news site Hespress reported that Spanish search-and-rescue teams with sniffer dogs had arrived in the country to support local efforts.

The powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck Morocco late on Friday night just after 11 p.m. (2200 UTC). More than 2,000 people are dead and over 1,400 are in still in a critical condition, according to the Interior Ministry.

The earthquake occurred at a depth of 18.5 kilometers (11 miles). The epicenter was situated in the High Atlas mountains, in the al-Haouz region of southwest Morocco. The historic city of Marrakech, a popular tourist destination, is home to about 840,000 residents and located just 72 kilometers from the earthquake's epicenter.

Unverified images on social media showed panicked people pouring onto the streets. Concerned about potential aftershocks, many Moroccans spent the night outdoors in various cities.

Rescuers began searching for people trapped in the debris shortly after the earthquake hit. Health authorities are urging Moroccans to donate blood to assist the victims.

Reaching people in villages where older buildings may be more susceptible to collapse will be extremely challenging, several officials have warned.

In the mountains, rescue efforts have been hindered as roads became congested with vehicles and blocked by fallen boulders, Moroccan media reported. The area is a favorite destination for mountaineers, with residents earning most of their income from tourism.

Residents in Marrakech have reported that some buildings collapsed in the historic old city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Marrakech’s renowned Koutoubia Mosque, constructed in the 12th century, suffered damage. Damage was also reported to the mosque's 69-meter (228-foot) minaret, often referred to as the "roof of Marrakech," and parts of the iconic red walls encircling the old city.

It was the strongest quake to hit the nation in over a century, according the head of the National Institute of Geophysics in Morocco. In 1960, a 5.8 magnitude quake shook the port of Agadir and left at least 12,000 deaths. A devastating earthquake near the Mediterranean coastal city of Al Hoceima in 2004 led to the loss of over 600 lives.

After the Agadir quake, Morocco changed its construction regulations. But many older buildings across the country have not been retrofitted to withstand such tremors.

Morocco has declared three days of national mourning following the deadly natural disaster. The national flag will be flown at half-staff throughout the country, the royal court said in a statement released on Saturday evening, a day after the quake.