Powerful earthquake rocks Morocco, killing at least 630

A powerful earthquake shook Morocco on Friday (Sep 8), killing more than 600 people, with terrified residents fleeing their homes in the middle of the night.

A powerful earthquake shook Morocco on Friday (Sep 8), killing more than 600 people, with terrified residents fleeing their homes in the middle of the night.

An updated interior ministry toll said at least 632 were dead. A further 329 were injured including 51 in critical condition. 

A local official said most deaths were in mountain areas that were hard to reach.

The 6.8-magnitude quake struck in the Ighil area of the High Atlas, about 72km southwest of tourist hotspot Marrakesh, at about 11.10pm local time, the US Geological Survey reported.

Strong tremors were also felt in the coastal cities of Rabat, Casablanca and Essaouira.

"We felt a very violent tremor, and I realised it was an earthquake," Abdelhak El Amrani, a 33-year-old in Marrakesh, said.