Powerful earthquake kills ‘at least’ 296 in Morocco

A powerful earthquake struck Morocco’s High Atlas mountains late Friday, killing at least 296 people, destroying buildings and sending residents of major cities rushing from their homes.

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.

Residents of Marrakech, the nearest big city to the epicenter, said some buildings had collapsed in the old city, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and local television showed pictures of a fallen mosque minaret with rubble lying on smashed cars.