New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed sorrow over the loss of lives due to an earthquake in Morocco, the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.

The death toll in Morocco’s deadliest that jolted several cities of the country on Friday night crossed 1,000 on Saturday, AFP reported citing the authorities.

“India is ready to offer all possible assistance to Morocco in this difficult time,” read the statement.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Prime Minister said, “Extremely pained by the loss of lives due to an earthquake in Morocco. In this tragic hour, my thoughts are with the people of Morocco. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest. India is ready to offer all possible assistance to Morocco in this difficult time.”

Updated interior ministry figures on Saturday showed the quake killed at least 1,037 people, the vast majority in Al-Haouz, the epicenter, and Taroudant provinces.

Another 1,204 people were injured, including 721 in critical condition, the ministry said.

A 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit Morocco Friday at 11:11 p.m. local time (2211 GMT) at a depth of 18.5 km, said the U.S. Geological Survey.

The epicenter of the earthquake was near the town of Ighil in Al Haouz Province, some 70 km southwest of Marrakesh.

The earthquake was felt in many cities across Morocco, including Rabat and Casablanca. Many houses collapsed in the cities of Taroudant and Marrakesh, local media reported.

The earthquake damaged many buildings in the old city of Marrakesh, the nearest big city to the epicenter, and many residents had to spend the night in the open space for fear of potential aftershocks, said Zhang Kai, an overseas Chinese living in Marrakesh, reported Xinhua.