Rescue workers in Morocco are racing against time to find survivors in the rubble of buildings collapsed by the country’s deadliest earthquake in six decades, as many residents in the affected areas prepare to spend another night outdoors.

The number of victims is increasing dramatically. According to the latest announcement by the Ministry of the Interior, the dead amount to 2,012 and 2,059 are injured, of which 1,404 are hospitalized in a critical condition.

The National Center for Scientific and Technical Research (CNRST), based in Rabat, estimated that the earthquake that shook Morocco overnight Friday to Saturday had a magnitude of 7 and was centered in al-Hawz province, southwest of the tourist city of Marrakesh. The earthquake was also felt in other African countries, such as Mauritania and Algeria, as well as in the southern part of Iberia.

In the village of Amizmiz, located near the epicenter, rescuers and volunteers are moving rubble with their hands. The narrow alleys have been overwhelmed by rubble. Around 10 bodies lie outside a hospital, covered in blankets, as devastated relatives mourn.

“When I felt the earth shake under my feet and the house started to tilt, I ran to get my children out. But my neighbors didn’t make it,” says Mohamed Azaw. “Unfortunately, no one from that family was found alive. Father and son were found dead, while mother and daughter are still missing,” he added.

In the village of Asni, located about 40 kilometers south of Marrakesh, almost all the houses were destroyed and those who survived will spend another night in the countryside. “Our neighbors were trapped under the rubble and frantic efforts are being made to rescue them with whatever means are available in the village,” said a resident of Ashni, Montasir Itri.

In the neighboring village of Tansgard, houses were cut in half and two minarets collapsed. A worker, Abdellatif Ait Bela, lies on the ground with a head injury from a falling wall. “We don’t have a home to take him to and we haven’t eaten anything since yesterday,” says his wife, who is worried about her family of six. “We can’t rely on anyone but God,” he snarls. The village is already mourning 10 dead, including two teenage girls, another resident said.

Morocco declared three days of national mourning yesterday Saturday. Armed forces have been mobilized to transport drinking water, food, tents and blankets to the affected areas.