The Interior Ministry said the number constituted a preliminary death toll and that 153 people had been injured. A local official said most deaths were in mountain areas that were hard to reach.
The Interior Ministry, in its televised statement on the death toll, urged calm and said the quake had hit the provinces of Al Haouz, Ouarzazate, Marrakech, Azilal, Chichaoua and Taroudant. "The earth shook for about 20 seconds. Doors opened and shut by themselves as I rushed downstairs from the second floor," he said.
Footage of the medieval city wall showed big cracks in one section and parts that had fallen, with rubble lying on the street.
We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more: