The earthquake that devastated much of Morocco has killed almost 3,000 people and destroyed thousands of homes, leaving many sleeping on the streets for a fourth night.
A huge rescue operation was underway, with teams from Spain, Britain and Qatar assisting the Moroccan military — but hope is fading of finding survivors.
Most of the dead were in the mountainous Al Haouz region in the High Atlas Mountains, near the earthquake's epicenter. Many of those killed were "buried" by falling debris, the government said.
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Latest on the Morocco earthquake
- More than 2,862 people are dead and more than 2,500 are injured after Friday night's magnitude-6.8 earthquake in the High Atlas Mountains southwest of Marrakech, Morocco.
- A desperate search for survivors continues as armed forces and international aid teams fight through rubble and devastation to reach remote mountain areas.
- The United Nations estimates 300,000 people across the region have been affected — many slept outside for a third straight night.
- No Americans have been reported killed, and the State Department described the number of injured U.S. citizens as "small."
- NBC News crews are on the ground and reporting from Morocco.
How to help the victims of the Morocco earthquake
The powerful earthquake that struck Morocco late Friday, killing and injuring thousands, caused widespread damage in the popular tourist city of Marrakech and surrounding villages.
The United Nations estimates 300,000 people in the region were affected, with many sleeping outside amid concerns over aftershocks. Now, international aid groups are raising money to help those in need as the desperate search continues for survivors of Morocco’s deadliest earthquake in more than six decades.
Map: Where the earthquake was the most intense
Video from rooftop restaurant captures moment quake hits
BBC's 'Race Across the World' postponed; first episode took place in Marrakech
The first episode of the British television show "Race Across the World" has been postponed after the earthquake, the BBC said.
"We of course started off our journey in Marrakesh — it’s a beautiful city and we were so warmly welcomed by everyone during filming," it said a statement on X, formerly Twitter. "Our hearts go out to the people of the country, and our thoughts are with them."
It wasn't clear whether or when the show will air.
"Race Across the World" is a competition show that airs on the BBC. This year's show was meant to feature celebrities and their family members as they traveled from Marrakech to Tromsø, Norway, a journey that spanned 24 countries and more than 10,000 kilometers, according to the BBC.
‘We are looking for people still,’ rescuer says
Service d’Aide Medicale Urgente, or SAMU, first response teams are in Morocco today looking through rubble to find any survivors.
International operations director Borja González told NBC's "TODAY" show that he was in the middle of the epicenter of the earthquake assisting in the search-and-rescue effort.
"We are looking for people still with the rescue dogs," González said. "It's hard, because the construction, you can see, is very basic. It's full of mud and earth, and it's not easy to find a pocket of space for the survivors to be in."
There has been little equipment to assist the SAMU members, he noted. "Neighbors, volunteers and ourselves are moving all the earth and the rocks and everything to try to look for the people," he said. "There's no machinery here. It's very remote in the mountains. It's not easy for machines to arrive here."
Asked whether he's hopeful survivors will be found in the rubble days after the earthquake, González said, "There's always hope."
Death toll rises to more than 2,680
The death toll has risen to more than 2,680, with more than 2,500 people injured, officials said.
The Moroccan Interior Ministry said today that at least 2,681 people were confirmed dead, while at least 2,501 people were injured.
It said rescue efforts were still underway as responders continue to care for the injured.
U.K. firefighters arrive in Morocco to assist with rescue effort
Firefighters from the United Kingdom have arrived in Morocco to assist with the rescue effort.
Firefighters from services across the country, including the London Fire Brigade and the West Midlands Fire Service, volunteered with the U.K. International Search and Rescue Team to travel to Morocco and offer support.
“They’ve established a base in Amizmiz," David O'Neill, the search-and-rescue coordinator, said in a statement shared by the London Fire Brigade. "They’re undertaking needs assessments in remote villages — they’ll be prioritizing those in need of rescue, medical aid, water, food & shelter.”
Areas where help is needed are also the 'most difficult to reach,' Doctors Without Borders says
Teams from Doctors Without Borders, also known as Médecins Sans Frontières, are in Morocco to help assess the needs of those affected and support local authorities.
“We expect most of the uncovered needs to be in the mountainous areas in the High Atlas,” the group said on X, formerly known as Twitter. “These areas are also the most difficult to reach as roads have also been affected by the earthquake.”
Doctors Without Borders personnel arrived in the country Saturday and have been in the assessment phase, the group said in a separate statement.
"We are extremely saddened by the tragic news of the earthquake that hit Morocco and the high number of victims already reported," it said.