Authorities in Morocco say the September 8 earthquake damaged at least 2,930 villages in the High Atlas Mountains with a total population of 2.8 million people.

Providing the latest update, Morrocco’s minister in charge of the budget Faouzi Lekjaa disclosed more 2,900 killed in the 6.8 magnitude earthquake, most of them in hard-to-reach mountainous areas.

Lekjaa told the parliament on Friday that at least 59,674 houses were damaged, of which 32% have totally collapsed.

The government would offer 2,500 dirhams or 244 dollars monthly over a year in aid to quake-stricken households, in addition to 140,000 dirhams compensation paid for totally destroyed homes and 80,000 for partially damaged ones, he said.

He further said reconstruction should respect the original architectural character of the High Atlas Mountains.

The earthquake, Morocco’s deadliest since 1960, destroyed many hamlets with traditional mud brick, stone and rough wood houses, specific to the Amazigh-speaking Atlas Mountains.