Morocco quake toll may top 300

At least 300 people were feared killed when a strong earthquake hit northern Morocco on Tuesday, local authorities said.

The quake shook rural areas near the Mediterranean city of Al Hoceima.

There were also worries about the fate of three villages -- Ait Kamra, Tamassint and Imzourn -- where 30,000 people live in mud structures.

According to the US Geological Survey, the 6.5-magnitude quake was centred 160km northeast of Fez in the Mediterranean Sea. It occurred about 800m underground at 0227 local time.