A rare and powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Morocco late Friday night and killed at least 1,037 people in the country's strongest quake in more than a century, according to Morocco’s Interior Ministry, ABC News reports.
The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the quake had 6.8-magnitude when it hit at 11:11 p.m. locally, with shaking that lasted several seconds. Morocco’s National Seismic Monitoring and Alert Network measured it at 7 on the Richter scale. The U.S. agency reported a 4.9-magnitude aftershock hit 19 minutes later.
Marrakech has a population of almost a million people, a popular tourist destination known for its historic palaces. Marrakech hosted the 2016 United Nations Climate Change Conference.
