Scenes From Morocco: A Deadly Earthquake Strikes

A magnitude-6.8 earthquake struck about 50 miles from the city of Marrakesh in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco, killing more than 2,000 people, turning houses and buildings into rubble and terrifying residents.

Morocco has a history of serious earthquakes, and the one that hit shortly after 11 p.m. on Friday was the largest to strike the area in more than a century. The full extent of the casualties and damages was not known.

“It didn’t last long,” said one person who experienced the quake in Amizmiz, which is about 30 miles southwest of Marrakesh, “but felt like years.”

The earthquake struck late Friday night, forcing many residents of Marrakesh to evacuate their homes and shelter in open squares in the city.

Using heavy equipment to search for survivors in a heavily damaged building in Marrakesh.

A house’s wall collapsed into its neighboring unit in the village of Tansghart.

Inspecting the damage in Marrakesh.

Residents of the village of Ouirgane digging graves for victims of the earthquake.

Rescue workers searching for survivors in Moulay Brahim, near the epicenter.

Bodies pulled from the rubble of destroyed homes in Moulay Brahim.

A woman outside a heavily damaged building in Marrakesh.

Red Crescent workers removing large boulders that were blocking a road connecting the High Atlas Mountains to Marrakesh.

In Marrakesh, some of the ancient homes inside the old walled city were constructed with stone, wood and mortar, making them more susceptible to damage from earthquakes.

A home of more modern construction did not escape the damage in Moulay Brahim.

People lining up to donate blood in Marrakesh.

Sunlight filtering through a hole in the side of a house caused by the earthquake in the village of Tansghart.