A powerful earthquake centered in Morocco's Atlas Mountains has left hundreds dead, while buildings collapsed and people fled their homes in several cities.
Residents of Marrakesh, the closest major city to the epicenter, said several buildings had collapsed in the old city, a UNESCO world heritage site, and local television showed pictures of a fallen mosque minaret with rubble lying in the ground. on cars destroyed after the earthquake struck, the Guardian reported.
Morocco's interior ministry said early Saturday that at least 600 people died in provinces near the epicenter. Also, hundreds of injured people have been sent to the hospital for treatment.
A local official said most of the deaths were in mountainous areas that were difficult to reach.
Morocco's geophysical center said the earthquake hit the Ighil area of the Atlas with a magnitude of 6.8.
