The quake struck just after 11pm local time, leaving people fleeing from buildings and waiting for aftershocks in the streets of Marrakech.

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The US Geological Survey preliminarily said that the earthquake registered as a 6.8 on the Richter Scale at 11.11pm local time.

A 4.9-magnitude aftershock was recorded 19 minutes later.

The quake’s epicenter was in the Atlas Mountains, according to the Geological Survey.

Officials are continuing to examine the extent of the damage.

Morocco’s Interior Ministry said early Saturday morning local time that at least 296 people were dead and feared that number would rise.

Another 153 people were injured and being treated at local hospitals.

The ministry also said that most of the damage was recorded outside of towns and cities.

But buildings and historical landmarks in cities like Marrakech have been reduced to rubble.

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