Poland stands with the victims of the tragic earthquake in the Kingdom of Morocco - the Polish MFA said on Monday, espressing condolences to families of victims and offering support.

Villagers wept for their lost relatives in the rubble of their homes on Monday as the death toll from Morocco's deadliest earthquake in more than six decades rose to almost 2,700 and rescuers raced against time to find survivors.

Search teams from Spain, Britain and Qatar were joining Moroccan rescue efforts after a 6.8 magnitude quake struck late on Friday in the High Atlas Mountains, with the epicentre 72 km (45 miles) southwest of Marrakech.

The state news agency reported the death toll had risen to 2,681 with 2,501 people injured. Rescuers said the traditional mud brick houses ubiquitous in the region reduced the chances of finding survivors because they had crumbled.

Poland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted a short message regarding the disaster on the X social media platform.

"Poland stands with the victims of the tragic earthquake in the Kingdom of Morocco. The country’s worst natural disaster since 1960 caused thousands of casualties and wounded. We express our sincere condolences to the families of victims and are always willing to assist," we read.

Poland ready to assist

Over the last weekend, Poland's President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki declared readiness to offer help to Morocco.

"In the face of the tragic earthquake in Morocco, with more than 1000 people killed, I would like to stress that Poland stands ready to provide any help necessary," Duda said on X.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims and the people of Morocco," he added.

Morawiecki also posted his message on the X platform.

"Immense scale of the tragedy in Morocco. Poland stands ready to offer needed assistance, including our rescue team," he wrote.

Damage to cultural heritage

With much of the quake zone in hard-to-reach areas, the Moroccan authorities have not issued any estimates for the number of people missing.

Roads blocked or obstructed by rocks that tumbled down the steep slopes during the quake have made it harder to access the worst-hit locations. Heavy machinery has been brought in to clear roads only for subsequent rockfalls to block them again.

The harm done to Morocco's cultural heritage has been emerging gradually. Buildings in Marrakech old city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, were damaged. The quake also did major damage to the historically significant 12th-century Tinmel Mosque.

Worst disaster since 1960

It was the North African country's deadliest earthquake since 1960, when a tremor was estimated to have killed at least 12,000 people, and the most powerful since at least 1900, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Morocco has accepted offers of aid from Spain and Britain, which both sent search-and-rescue specialists with sniffer dogs, from the United Arab Emirates, and from Qatar, which said on Sunday a search-and-rescue team was on its way.

The European Union said it was releasing an initial 1 million euros ($1.07 million) to non-governmental aid organisations in Morocco.