The UN chief expressed his profound sadness over the deadly earthquake that struck central Morocco late on Friday night reportedly leaving over 1,000 dead, expressing his solidarity with the Government and people of the country.

In a statement issued by his Spokesperson, Secretary-General António Guterres stressed that the UN was ready to assist the Government in any way needed, to help those impacted.

According to the UN humanitarian hub Reliefweb, the powerful quake struck shortly after 10pm local time, measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale at a depth of 18.5 km, with the epicentre located in the High Atlas mountains, some 71 km southwest of the historic city of Marrakech.

According to media reports, several houses in the city of 840,000 collapsed and other buildings suffered structural damage. The epicentral zone is not densely populated.

"The Secretary-General was profoundly saddened to learn of the earthquake that hit Morocco today which claimed many lives," the statement read.

'The UN is by your side'

Mr. Guterres addressed his most sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.

In a tweet, the President of the UN General Assembly, Dennis Francis, offered his heartfelt sympathy and condolences, calling on the international community "to stand together in support of Morocco in this time of sorrow."

Amina Mohammed, the UN Deputy Secretary-General, also responded on social media platform X, saying that her "prayers and thoughts" are with the people of Morocco.

"The UN is by your side as we strive to recover," she wrote.