On Saturday after an earthquake in Moulay Brahim, Morocco’s Al Haouz province, rescuers look for survivors inside a fallen house.

A strong earthquake that occurred nearby the ancient Moroccan city of Marrakech resulted in over 1,000 fatalities and hundreds more injuries.

Homes in towns spread over the Atlas Mountains as well as historical landmarks inside Marrakech city were destroyed by the 6.8-magnitude earthquake on Friday night.

People can be seen traveling through streets in the dark amid these dust clouds in video footage from the earthquake region that has been released online, looking confused and terrified as they search for refuge.

A hotel manager in Marrakech named Mourad Louksani told NPR’s Scott Simon that he and his family were in their apartment when the earthquake struck.

Following a Saturday earthquake in Moulay Brahim, Al-Haouz province, a mosque’s minaret can be seen behind homes that have been damaged or destroyed.

The historic city was founded in the eleventh century, and many of its stone structures and construction were not made to survive earthquakes. There may have been damage to the historic Koutoubia Mosque from the year 12th. The 226-foot-tall minaret of the mosque is shown trembling in videos that have been uploaded online, with dust rising from the top. There have also been reports of portions of the famed red walls of the ancient city, a UNESCO World Heritage site, collapsing.

Travelers from all around the world visit Marrakech. After the earthquake, some visitors lined up with Moroccans at a hospital in Marrakesh, volunteering to donate blood to treat the numerous injured.

In the Moroccan village of Moulay Brahim, which is outside of Marrakech, residents fled their houses after an earthquake on Saturday.

President Biden expressed in a statement that he was “deeply saddened” by the deaths in Morocco. “We are moving quickly to ensure that American citizens in Morocco are safe, and we stand ready to provide any necessary assistance for the Moroccan people,” he said.

Many nations have also promised to provide assistance, including France and Germany, both of which have sizable Moroccan populations.

According to reports, this was the Atlas Mountains’ biggest earthquake ever to be felt there. Morocco has experienced earthquakes in the past, though.

In a 1960 earthquake near the coastal city of Agadir, between 12,000 and 15,000 people perished.

In the wake of an earthquake that occurred in Marrakesh on Saturday, residents sought refuge outside in a square.