Search for quake survivors goes on as death toll surpasses 2,000

Rescuers searched yesterday for survivors of Morocco's deadliest earthquake in more than six decades, with more than 2,000 people killed by the disaster that has laid waste to villages in the mountains near Marrakech..

The 6.8-magnitude quake hit late on Friday. Relief workers race to reach the most badly affected villages in the remote High Atlas mountain range.

Large chunks of a cliff had fallen onto the road near Moulay Brahim, a village some 40 kilometers south of Marrakech, partly blocking a winding road connecting the city to the Atlas Mountains.

"There are a lot of people still under the rubble. People are still searching for their parents," said Adeeni Mustafa, a resident from the Asni area. "There are a lot of roads that are closed."

"The next 24 to 48 hours will be critical in terms of saving lives," Caroline Holt, global director of operations for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said.

In Moulay Brahim, tents were erected and residents wrapped themselves in blankets after spending the night outside.

Footage captured on Saturday showed rescuers pulling someone from the rubble. Two rescuers hugged each other as the person was carried away on a stretcher.

The latest Interior Ministry figures put the death toll at 2,012, with 2,059 people injured, including 1,404 in critical condition.

Morocco has declared three days of mourning.

The World Health Organization said more than 300,000 people have been affected by the disaster.

The village of Tansghart in the Ansi area, where roads lead to the High Atlas was the worst hit. Its picturesque houses were cracked open by the shaking ground, some missing chunks of wall or plaster.

The quake's epicenter was some 72km southwest of Marrakech, known for its medieval mosques and palaces.