Morocco's state-run media quoted the interior ministry as saying 1,037 people have been confirmed dead and 1,204 injured after a powerful earthquake hit the country.
The United States Geological Survey says the magnitude 6.8 quake, with its epicenter roughly 70 kilometers from the central city of Marrakech, occurred shortly after 11 p.m. Friday night local time.
Video footage released by Reuters news agency shows rescue teams working into the night amid collapsed buildings, rubble and crushed cars. The footage is believed to have been taken right after the quake.
After sunrise, the operation moved into high gear, but rescuers are facing difficulty in mountainous areas.
The AFP news agency says more than 10,000 people were killed in a quake that hit the country in 1960.
Its epicenter was near the city of Agadir, about 130 kilometers from Friday's.