Morocco announces three days of mourning as death toll due to earthquake climbs to over 2,000

Morocco on September 10 declared three days of national mourning after a devastating earthquake jolted the nation killing more than 2000 people.

Flags will fly at half-mast on all public facilities during the national mourning, according to a statement released by the Royal Office after Moroccan King Mohammed VI chaired a meeting on the disaster.

A 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit Morocco Friday at 11:11 p.m. local time (2211 GMT) at a depth of 18.5 km, said the United States Geological Survey. The epicenter of the earthquake was near the town of Ighil in Al Haouz Province, some 70 km southwest of Marrakesh.

The quake has claimed the lives of 2,012 people and injured 2,059, with 1,404 of them in serious condition, according to the latest update from the country's Interior Ministry on Saturday.

Morocco has not experienced a disaster of this magnitude since 2004 when a 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit the port city of Al Hoceima, killing around 630 people.

The Moroccan state TV said the majority of casualties in the earthquake were from the remote and inaccessible mountainous regions near the epicenter, with damaged roads further hindering rescue efforts

Also read : Morocco earthquake death toll rises to 632, several buildings reduced to rubble