Strong earthquake in Morocco, More than 600 dead

More than 600 people have died after a powerful earthquake struck central Morocco, according to the country’s interior ministry

We now have confirmation that 632 people died and 329 were injured, according to an update by the Moroccan interior ministry, quoted by the AFP news agency.

According to the ministry, of those injured, 51 were in critical condition after the earthquake.

The quake – measuring magnitude 6.8 – sent people rushing into the streets in Marrakesh and other cities.

Many of the deaths were said to be in hard-to-reach mountain areas – and at least 153 people were injured.

It struck just after 23:00 local time, at a relatively shallow depth 71km (44 miles) southwest of Marrakesh, according to the US Geological Survey.

Unverified video clips on X (formerly Twitter) show damaged buildings and rubble-strewn streets.