EastEnders star Maisie Smith flew home from Morocco just two days before tragic earthquake

Maisie Smith revealed she flew home from Morocco just two days before a tragic earthquake.

The 6.8 magnitude earthquake is believed to be the biggest to hit the country in more than 120 years.

Early reports suggest that at least 800 people have been killed by the devastating tremor, and that more than 650 are injured.

The EastEnders actress, and former Strictly Come Dancing celebrity, told her followers that she "can't believe it."

Taking to Instagram, she shared her condolences to those affected by the tragedy, posting a picture walking through the streets of the foreign country.

The 22-year-old said: "I can't believe it. We only just flew back from this beautiful country just two days ago. My thoughts are with all the victims and families of those who lost their lives in this tragedy."

Britain has offered assistance to Morocco after it was struck by the rare and powerful earthquake.

It happened late on Friday, causing damage to buildings from villages in the Atlas Mountains to the historic city of Marrakesh.

Moroccan media reported that the 12th-century Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakesh, one of the city's most famed landmarks, suffered damage, but the extent was not immediately clear.

Local people also posted videos showing damage to parts of the famous red walls that surround the city, a Unesco World Heritage site.

Rishi Sunak said his thoughts are with everyone affected by the "terrible" earthquake.

"The UK stands ready to support our Moroccan friends," the Prime Minister wrote on social media, in a message that echoed that of Foreign Secretary James Cleverly.

Mr Cleverly pledged support in "whatever way we can". The Foreign Office updated its advice to Britons in the country, telling them to "follow local media and safety instructions from local authorities".

A British journalist living in Morocco described waking up to the sound of his wife screaming as the quake shook their home.

Martin Jay told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that he had just settled into sleep when the tremor struck. "The first hint was my wife screaming," he said.

"I couldn't quite equate the situation, I couldn't imagine I was in the middle of an earthquake.

"Everything was vibrating, everything, the bed, the floor, the four walls."

Part of their home was damaged by the earthquake, with some of the brick walls collapsing from the tremors.

The epicentre of the earthquake was near the town of Ighil in Al Haouz province, roughly 43 miles south of Marrakesh.

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