ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office confirmed the safety of its overseas nationals in Morocco on Saturday after a powerful earthquake shook the North African country and led to the death of over 1,000 people.
The quake, which struck the High Atlas mountains late Friday, destroyed buildings and sent residents of major cities rushing to safety, resulting in at least 1,037 fatalities and 1,200 injuries, as reported by the Moroccan interior ministry.
According to the geophysical center in the North African state, the earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.2, struck in the Ighil area of the High Atlas. However, the US Geological Survey cited a slightly lower magnitude of 6.8, noting that it struck at a relatively shallow depth of 18.5 km (11.5 miles).

“Our Embassy in Rabat has reached out to the Pakistani community to inquire about their safety,” the foreign office spokesperson, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, said in a brief statement. “As per initial reports all Pakistani nationals are safe. We will continue to monitor the situation to facilitate them in the wake of this tragedy.”
The spokesperson added the people and government of Pakistan stood in solidarity with Morocco and expressed their heartfelt sympathies and condolences at the tragic loss of lives in the earthquake.
“We have also conveyed our offer of assistance to Morocco,” she added.
Earlier, Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar also extended his sympathies to people affected by Friday’s tremor and offered assistance to them in a statement issued by his office.
“Our hearts ache for those affected by the severe earthquake in Morocco,” Kakar separately wrote on the X messaging platform. “Pakistan extends its hand in unity and support to #Morocco in this trying time.”

Residents of Marrakech, the nearest big city to the epicenter, said some buildings had collapsed in the old city, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, while local news stations showed pictures of a fallen mosque minaret with rubble lying on smashed cars.
People were working hard by hand to remove debris on Saturday while they waited for heavy equipment in the tightly packed old city. Footage of the medieval city wall showed big cracks in one section and parts that had fallen, with rubble lying on the street.
The Moroccan interior ministry urged calm in a televised statement, saying the quake had hit the provinces of Al Haouz, Ouarzazate, Marrakech, Azilal, Chichaoua, and Taroudant.