A Closer Look: The impact of Morocco's earthquake

In A Closer Look, The National provides an in-depth take on one of the main stories of the week

Thousands of people have died in Morocco after a strong earthquake struck near Marrakesh late on Friday night.

The death toll continues to climb as search-and-rescue teams comb through the rubble looking for survivors.

The disaster damaged entire towns as well as parts of the walls that surround Marrakesh’s old city, a Unesco World Heritage site built in the 12th century.

Host Sarah Forster speaks to The National's assistant foreign editor Hadya Al Alawi to find out more on the developing story.

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Morrocan earthquake aftermath – in pictures

Rescue workers and civilians search among the rubble of destroyed houses in the Moroccan village of Imi N'Tala, near Amizmiz. AFP

A man consoles a grieving woman in Imi N'Tala, Morocco, after rescue workers recovered the bodies of her relatives from beneath rubble. AFP

A Moroccan woman sits on the rubble of destroyed buildings in Imi N'Tala village after a deadly 6.8-magnitude earthquake. AFP

A member of the civil defence searches for bodies in the rubble of a collapsed house in Azgour, Morocco. Getty Images

Houses destroyed by a deadly earthquake in the village of Arghen Valley, Morocco. Reuters

The 12th-century Great Mosque of Tinmal, proposed for listing as a Unesco World Heritage Site, was badly damaged in the earthquake in Morocco. Reuters

An injured boy is comforted by his father in front of his mother in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in Talat N'Yaaqoub, Morocco. Reuters

King Mohammed VI of Morocco kisses an injured boy on the forehead while visiting earthquake survivors at a hospital in Marrakesh on Wednesday. Photo: MAP

Football fans display a sign with a message of support for those affected by the earthquake in Morocco during a match between Morocco and Burkina Faso in Lens, France. AFP

A man carries a plate of food for people displaced by the earthquake in Azgour, Morocco. Getty Images

A surgeon and armed forces medics at the military field hospital for earthquake survivors in the village of Asni in Morocco's Al Haouz province. AFP

Medics carry a patient on a stretcher at the military field hospital for earthquake survivors in the village of Asni in Morocco's Al Haouz province. AFP

Earthquake survivors queue to receive aid packages in the town of Amizmiz in Morocco's Al Haouz province. AFP