The death toll in the powerful quake in Morocco reportedly climbed to over 2,100 amid rescuers struggling for a second day Sunday to locate survivors.
The 6.8-magnitude quake struck late on Friday, also left remote villages near the epicenter in ruins.
It was the strongest to hit the region around the ancient city of Marrakech in a century, according to the US Geological Survey.
In an update Sunday afternoon, officials said the death toll had risen to at least 2,122 people, with 2,421 more injured — including many in critical condition, CNN reported.
The toll is expected to rise further as rescuers dig through the rubble of collapsed houses in remote areas of the High Atlas Mountains.
Morocco thanks allies for aid
Meanwhile, King Mohammed VI of Morocco has thanked the UAE, Qatar, Spain and the UK for sending aid following the earthquake that struck the country, state-run broadcaster Al Aoula said on Sunday.
“The Moroccan authorities conducted a careful assessment of the needs in the field, taking into account that a lack of coordination in such cases would be counterproductive,” the king said, according to an interior ministry statement posted by state broadcaster 2M.
“On this basis, the Moroccan authorities responded, at this particular stage, to the offers of support made by friendly countries Spain, Qatar, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates, which suggested mobilising a group of search and rescue teams,” the statement said.
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