VATICAN – Pope Francis offered prayers and solidarity on Sunday for the victims of Morocco’s deadliest earthquake in more than six decades.

“I pray for the injured, for those who have lost their lives, so many of them, and for their relatives,” he said, speaking to crowds in St Peter’s Square after delivering his Angelus message.

He also thanked rescue workers for their efforts to help the victims of a quake that has killed more than 2,000 people.

“We stand with the people of Morocco,” he added.