Marrakesh, Morocco - Morocco's deadliest earthquake in decades killed hundreds of people, causing widespread damage and sending terrified residents and tourists scrambling to safety in the middle of the night.

The 6.8-magnitude quake struck a mountainous area 45 miles southwest of tourist hotspot Marrakesh at 11:11 PM local time (6 PM EDT) Friday, the US Geological Survey reported.

Strong tremors were also felt in the coastal cities of Rabat, Casablanca, and Essaouira.

The quake also destroyed several buildings in the affected areas, an Interior Ministry official said without giving specific figures.

The Moroccan army and local authorities continue to use all their resources to offer assistance and assess damage, according to state news agency MAP.

Nasser Jabour, director of the National Institute of Geophysics, told MAP that the quake had been felt in several cities as far as 250 miles from the epicenter.

"It is the first time in a century that the institute has recorded a violent earthquake of this kind in Morocco," he said, adding that the quake was followed by hundreds of aftershocks.

The earthquake caused panic among residents in Marrakesh, Agadir and other cities and was also felt in Rabat and Casablanca, local newspaper Le Matin reported.

Hospitals in Marrakesh called on people to donate blood, while there were still people believed to be trapped beneath the rubble, Moroccan media reported.

Moroccan television broadcasts showed buildings reduced to rubble and damage to the famous red walls that surround parts of Marrakesh's historic area.

US President Joe Biden sent his condolences in a statement Saturday morning: "I am deeply saddened by the loss of life and devastation caused by the earthquake in Morocco. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those impacted by this terrible hardship."

He added: "My administration is in contact with Moroccan officials. We are working expeditiously to ensure American citizens in Morocco are safe, and stand ready to provide any necessary assistance for the Moroccan people. The United States stands by Morocco and my friend King Mohammed VI at this difficult moment."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, whose country suffered devastating earthquakes earlier this year, was among the many world leaders to express sympathy and support for Morocco.

The last major earthquake to strike the country occurred in 2004, when a 6.4-magnitude earthquake killed more than 600 people.

The death toll in the Morocco earthquake has climbed to 1,037 people, Moroccan state television reports, citing the Interior Ministry.

Some 1,204 others were injured, including 721 with serious wounds, due to the quake that rattled several areas in the North African country, a ministry's official says in a televised update.

In the province of Al Haouz, the epicenter of the quake, 542 fatalities have been registered, according to the ministry.