Morocco earthquake: More than 2,000 dead as tremors felt in several regions

A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.8 has struck central Morocco, killing more than 2,000 people and causing severe damage in several areas.

Residents rushed into the streets when the quake struck at 23:11 local time (22:11 GMT) on Friday.

"Violent" tremors were felt in several areas of the country from Casablanca to Marrakesh, where many buildings have been destroyed or severely damaged.

The country's royal palace has declared three days of national mourning.

It also said the armed forces would deploy rescue teams to provide affected areas with clean drinking water, food supplies, tents and blankets.

Many of the victims are believed to be in hard-to-reach mountain areas.

The epicentre was in the High Atlas Mountains, 71km (44 miles) south-west of Marrakesh.

Many people are still believed to be under the rubble and rescue efforts are under way. Several bodies have already been recovered