Over 300,000 people affected by Morocco earthquake: WHO

The WHO announced on Sunday that the powerful earthquake that rocked Morocco last Friday night affected 300,000 people in Marrakesh and the surrounding areas.

The death toll from the quake has risen to 2,122 people, Moroccan state TV said on Sunday, citing a statement from the interior ministry.

The number of injured rose to 2,421, including nearly 1,500 people who are in a critical condition, it added.

Grief-stricken families held funerals on Sunday for the earthquake victims as rescue workers pulled more bodies from under the rubble in some of the worst-hit areas.

Volunteers have also arrived at some mountain villages, bringing basic food items and blankets, donated by citizens from nearby cities.

Caroline Holt, the global head of operations at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), stated that rescuing people “buried under the rubble at this moment is a race against time”.

“This response has very much been organised with the Moroccan government taking the lead at this point,” she told Al Jazeera.

“Search and rescue is critical at this point. Catching people buried under the rubble at this moment is a race against time,” Holt said.

“I don’t think we know the full picture of the extent of the injuries, and the number of deaths and survivors yet,” she continued.