NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — More than 2,500 people are dead following an earthquake in Morocco on Friday.

It’s the country’s deadliest quake in more than six decades.

As rescuers race against time to find survivors, a Norfolk restaurant is doing its part to help.

“It’s heartbreaking,” said Omar Boukhriss, who grew up in Morocco. “When I see the Moroccan news in the past few days, you’re looking at people who haven’t even gotten food to eat, or water, because it was hard for the help to get to them.”

Boukhriss owns the Carriage House in Norfolk. Most of his family still lives in Casablanca, and some of his wife’s family lives in the Atlas Mountains, southwest of Marrakesh.

He says thankfully their family is all OK — but a lot of people in the country aren’t.

“As much as you want to say you’re relieved because your family is not hurt and is safe,” Boukhriss said. “you still feel sorry for everybody who lost their lives and their loved ones.”

The Moroccan Interior Ministry says more than 2,600 people are dead and more than 2,500 are injured after Friday night’s 6.8-magnitude earthquake.

Boukhriss said the mountainous area where a lot of the damage is centered is very rural and difficult to get to.

“With these roads, they don’t just lead to one village,” Boukhriss said. “They lead to 40 or 50 villages. it’s harder than what you think.”

Boukhriss said he vacationed to some of the ski resorts there as a kid.

He said it’s heartbreaking to see the area like this but even more heartbreaking to know winter is only weeks away for them.

“That’s the main thing right now,” he said, ‘is how do we prepare them for the harsh winter that’s coming their way and what can we do for them.”

Boukhriss and his wife are planning to fly to Morocco on Wednesday to help.

They are working to raise money to help families impacted and maybe even start the rebuilding process.

“To rebuild villages, it’s not going to happen overnight,” Boukhriss said. “It’s not going to happen in a year, that’s for sure, so we need to see what can we do to help them at least keep some sort of a lifestyle, if you would, just to keep them going, keep up normal life.”