Hundreds killed in Morocco earthquake

The death toll for the Morocco earthquake has risen to 1,037 with 1,200 people injured, Morocco’s state-run TV station Al Aoula has said, citing the Ministry of Interior.

Al Aoula added hundreds of people are in critical condition.

Rescue teams in Morocco are having difficulties reaching the areas most affected by the quake because nearby roads are damaged and blocked, Al Aoula TV has reported.

The 6.8-magnitude quake struck shortly after 11 p.m. local time at a relatively shallow depth of 18.5 kilometers (11.4 miles), according to the US Geological Survey.

The epicenter was in the High Atlas mountains located about 72 kilometers (44.7 miles) southwest of Marrakech, a city of some 840,000 people and a popular tourist destination.

Multiple buildings collapsed following the quake southwest of Marrakech city in Morocco, footage aired by the state-run Al-Aoula TV station showed.

Thousands of people fled their houses and residential buildings after the country’s National Institute of Geophysics warned of aftershocks.

Morocco’s Blood Transfusion and Hematology Center called on people to donate blood to help victims in need following the earthquake, the country’s state-run TV said on Saturday.

The center added the number and type of injuries meant the blood bags were needed as soon as possible.