The deadly 6.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Morocco on Friday night is the worst the country has seen for years.

At least 632 people were killed, and 329 others were wounded – including 51 in critical condition, state-run TV Al Aoula reported, citing Morocco’s Interior Ministry.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), it was the strongest tremor to hit that part of the North African nation in more than a century.

Not since 2004 has the country seen a comparative disaster, when a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck the port city of Al Hoceima.

That earthquake left around 630 people dead and caused widespread damage.

Morocco's worst earthquake of modern times was in 1960 near the western city of Agadir which killed at least 12,000 people.