More than 1,000 people have been killed and 1,204 injured in the powerful earthquake in Morocco so far; The death toll may rise

Rabat: More than 1,000 people have been killed in Morocco's deadliest earthquake in decades, . Many people were injured. The earthquake struck near the city of Marrakesh around 11:11 p.m. Friday. 6.8 intensity was recorded on the Richter scale.

Authorities said it caused widespread damage and sent terrified residents and tourists to safety in the middle of the night. A total of 1,037 people have been confirmed dead and 1,204 injured, of which 721 are in critical condition, the interior ministry said in a statement.

The epicenter of the earthquake was at a depth of 18.5 km. It is reported that the tremors of the earthquake lasted for several seconds. There was widespread damage in the surrounding areas. Officials said that the extent of the damage is only being estimated.

The Interior Ministry in its televised statement on the death toll, urged calm and said the earthquake had hit the provinces of Al Haouz, Ouarzazate, Marrakesh, Azilal, Chichaoua and Taroudant. It said that authorities have "mobilised all the necessary resources to intervene and help the affected areas". A view of rubble after a 7 magnitude earthquake in Marrakesh

USGS said that "the population in this region lives in structures that are highly vulnerable to earthquake shaking". In Marrakesh, footage of the medieval city wall showed big cracks in one section and parts that had fallen, with rubble lying on the street.

Internet connectivity was disrupted in Marrakesh due to power cuts, according to global internet monitor NetBlocks. People in Rabat, about 350km north of Ighil, and in the coastal town of Imsouane, about 180km to its west, also fled their homes, fearing a stronger quake, according to Reuters witnesses.

Morocco's geophysical centre said the quake struck in the Ighil area of the High Atlas with a magnitude of 7.2. The US Geological Survey (USGS) put the quake's magnitude at 6.8 and said it was at a relatively shallow depth of 18.5km.

A local official said most deaths were in mountain areas that were hard to reach. Residents of Marrakesh, the nearest big city to the epicentre, said some 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 on smashed cars.