Morocco declares 3 days of national mourning after deadly earthquake

RABAT, Morocco

Moroccan King Mohammed VI on Saturday declared three days of national mourning for the victims of Friday’s earthquake.

Flags will fly at half-staff on all public buildings during the mourning period, the Kingdom’s Royal Court said in a statement carried by the official Maghreb Arabe Press news agency.

The Moroccan monarch also ordered the formation of a ministerial committee to develop a reconstruction plan for destroyed homes.

At least 1,037 people were killed and 1,204 others injured following a powerful earthquake that struck Morocco late Friday.

Fatalities from the magnitude 7.0 quake occurred in various regions, including Al Haouz and Marrakesh provinces, as well as the cities of Ouarzazate, Azilal, Chichaoua, and Taroudant, the country’s Interior Ministry said in a statement.

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat