The President of the Republic, Filipe Nyusi, has sent a message of condolence to the Moroccan people following the devastating 6.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the Kingdom of Morocco on Friday night.

To this end, the head of state advocated international solidarity with Morocco by mobilizing support and specialized teams to mitigate the consequences of the earthquake.

"While we express our solidarity with the Moroccan people, we recognize the challenges faced by rescue teams struggling to reach those most in need. The location of the epicenter in the High Atlas Mountains, near the historic city of Marrakech, adds to the gravity of the situation," reads the message released this morning by the Mozambican head of state.

The earthquake that struck Morocco on Friday night caused more than 2,000 deaths and more than two thousand injuries and caused widespread damage in the Marrakech region, an important Moroccan tourist destination.

In the same message, Filipe Nyusi expressed "deep sadness and regret" at the "tragedy" and sent "condolences to the Moroccan people in these difficult times".

"At this time of pain and discomfort, it is our duty to offer our support, prayers and assistance to our Moroccan brothers and sisters as they face this unprecedented crisis. I therefore take this opportunity to call on African countries, the United Nations, as well as other humanitarian organizations and the international community in general to urgently mobilize support and specialized teams to assist in search and rescue operations, as well as to cover immediate needs," he added.

The earthquake, whose epicenter was in the town of Ighil, 63 kilometers southwest of the city of Marrakech, was felt in Portugal and Spain and reached a magnitude of 7.0 on the Richter scale, according to Morocco's National Geophysics Institute.