Eyewitnesses describe destruction in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains following earthquake
It was night when the earthquake hit Morocco, with many people already in bed. But the quake, measuring 6.8, soon led to people fleeing their homes in sheer panic.
An aftershock, of 4.9 magnitude, struck 19 minutes later.
The death toll now stands at over 800, but it is not known for sure how many fatalities there have been. While the epicentre was in the High Atlas Mountains, many died in Marrakesh, some 44 miles away.
Fatima, 50, told CNN her house in the town of Asni in the foothills of the High Atlas Mountains was destroyed in the earthquake.
“I barely got the chance to grab the kids and run out before I saw my house collapsing in front of my eyes. The neighbor’s house has also collapsed and there are two dead people under the rubble,” she said.