In Marrakech, some houses in the tightly packed old city have collapsed and people were working hard by hand to remove debris while they waited for heavy equipment, said local resident Id Waaziz Hassan.
Others showed people running out of a shopping centre, restaurants and apartment buildings and congregating outside. "I could see buildings moving. We don't necessarily have the reflexes for this type of situation. Then I went outside and there were a lot of people there. People were all in shock and panic. The children were crying and the parents were distraught."
Local media reported a family was trapped in the rubble after their house collapsed in the town of Al-Haouz, the epicentre of the quake.Moroccan local media reported it as the most powerful earthquake to hit the country to date.The earthquake was also felt in Portugal and neighbouring Algeria, where the Algerian Civil Defence said it had not caused any damage or casualties.