Amizmiz, Morocco - At least 2,122 people have been killed and 2,421 injured since a massive earthquake struck central Morocco on Friday night, according to the latest update from the Moroccan Interior Ministry on Sunday.

Residents pass by damaged buildings near the epicenter at Amizmiz Village in Morocco, Sept. 10, 2023. (Photo/Wang Dongzhen, Xinhua)

The deaths include 1,351 people reported in the Al Haouz Province, 492 in Taroudant Province, 201 in Chichaoua, and 17 in Marrakesh, added the ministry in a press release.

Moroccan troops and emergency services were reportedly struggling to reach the most affected areas in the Atlas Mountains region, as roads leading up there were blocked by fallen boulders, according to local media.

Earlier in the day, Marrakesh's residents told Xinhua reporters that aftershocks could still be felt.

According to the World Health Organization estimates, the disaster has affected more than 300,000 people in the ancient old city and its outskirts.

The number of casualties is expected to rise. The Moroccan Red Crescent (MRC) has said the situation on the ground posed a vast challenge to search and rescue efforts, and "getting heavy machinery into those remote areas of the Atlas Mountains to help with that is a priority."

As more people were being pulled out of the rubble, the MRC and other first responders were working around the clock to identify and prioritize the most severe cases, the MRC said in a statement.

The earthquake hit Morocco Friday at 11:11 p.m. local time (2211 GMT) at a depth of 18.5 km, according to the United States Geological Survey.

A cat walks along damaged buildings near the epicenter at Amizmiz Village in Morocco, Sept. 10, 2023. (Photo/Wang Dongzhen, Xinhua)

This photo taken on Sept. 9, 2023 shows a damaged vehicle after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake in Marrakesh, Morocco. (Photo/Wang Dongzhen, Xinhua)

This photo taken with a mobile phone shows residents taking shelter at an open space after an earthquake in Ouarzazate, Morocco, Sept. 9, 2023. (Photo/Wang Dongzhen, Xinhua)

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Rescuers in Morocco race against time searching for quake survivors

Amizmiz, Morocco - Rescuers are racing against time to search for survivors on Sunday around 40 hours after a deadly 6.8-magnitude earthquake wreaked havoc in central Morocco.

Residents pass by damaged buildings near the epicenter at Amizmiz Village in Morocco, Sept. 10, 2023. (Photo/Wang Dongzhen, Xinhua)

The strong tremor, which struck the ancient city of Marrakesh on Friday night, has killed more than 2,000 people.

Rescuers were reported struggling to reach the most affected areas in the Atlas Mountains region as roads leading up there were blocked by fallen boulders.

This photo shows a damaged building near the epicenter at Amizmiz Village in Morocco, Sept. 10, 2023. (Photo/Wang Dongzhen, Xinhua)

Xinhua reporters saw piles of building debris left by the quake in a residential neighborhood in Amizmiz, a nearby small town of the province.

Makeshift tents were pitched up to shelter local residents, who had spent two nights outdoors for fear of more aftershocks.

"We need food and cover, they are the most important to us for now," Amin, without giving his full name, told Xinhua.

He added that being stranded outdoors for another cold night was particularly difficult for elders and the children.

Rescuers carry the body of a victim near the epicenter at Amizmiz Village in Morocco, Sept. 10, 2023. (Photo/Wang Dongzhen, Xinhua)

The earthquake hit Morocco Friday at 11:11 p.m. local time (2211 GMT) at a depth of 18.5 kilometers, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The death toll has risen to 2,012, among whom 1,293 were reported in Al Haouz and 452 were in the Taroudant Province. The quake left some 2,059 people injured, with 1,404 in severe condition, the Moroccan Interior Ministry said in its latest update.

A resident bursts into tears near the epicenter at Amizmiz Village in Morocco, Sept. 10, 2023. (Photo/Wang Dongzhen, Xinhua)

The World Health Organization estimated that more than 300,000 people in Marrakesh and its outskirts were affected by the disaster.