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Rescuers are racing against time to find survivors in the rubble more than 48 hours after Morocco's deadliest earthquake in more than six decades, with more than 2100 killed in a disaster that devastated villages in the High Atlas Mountains.

Search teams from Spain and Britain are joining efforts to find survivors of the 6.8 magnitude quake that struck late on Friday night 72 km southwest of Marrakech.

Many survivors spent a third night outside, their homes destroyed or rendered unsafe by Morocco's most powerful earthquake since at least 1900. The death toll climbed to 2122 with 2421 people injured, state TV reported late on Sunday.

In the village of Tafeghaghte, Hamid ben Henna described how his eight-year-old son died under the rubble after he had gone to fetch a knife from the kitchen as the family were having their evening meal. The rest of the family survived.

People have been salvaging possessions from the ruins of their homes and describing desperate scenes as they dug with their bare hands to find relatives.

The damage done to Morocco's cultural heritage has been emerging gradually. Buildings in Marrakech old city, a World Heritage Site, were damaged. The quake also reportedly did major damage to the historically significant 12th-century Tinmel Mosque in a remote mountain area closer to the epicentre.

Survivors struggling to find shelter and supplies have voiced criticism of what they have described as an initially slow government response.

Morocco has deployed the army as part of its response and has said it is reinforcing search-and-rescue teams, providing drinking water and distributing food, tents and blankets.

State television reported on Sunday that the government might accept relief offers from other countries and will work to coordinate them if needed.

Search-and-rescue specialists with sniffer dogs have been sent by Britain and Spain. Qatar said on Sunday its search-and-rescue team departed for Morocco. Spain said it received an official request for aid from Morocco on Sunday.

France, among the countries offering assistance, said on Sunday it stood ready to help and was awaiting a formal request from Morocco.

King Mohammed VI thanked Spain, Qatar, the UK and United Arab Emirates for sending aid, state TV reported on Sunday. Morocco had assessed aid needs and considered the importance of coordinating relief efforts before accepting their help, it added.

With many homes built of mud bricks and timber or cement and breeze blocks, structures crumbled easily. It was the North African country's most lethal earthquake since 1960 when a major tremor was estimated to have killed at least 12,000 people.

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Spanish football federation chief Luis Rubiales, engulfed in a scandal over allegations he gave an unsolicited kiss to a player after the Women's World Cup final in Sydney last month, has announced his resignation.

In a statement, Rubiales said his position had become untenable, with the Spanish football federation later confirming he had sent a resignation letter to acting president Pedro Rocha.

A Spanish prosecutor last week filed a complaint with the high court against Rubiales for sexual assault and coercion over his allegedly unsolicited kiss on the lips of player Jenni Hermoso.

The complaint, announced on Friday, describes how Rubiales kissed Hermoso on the mouth "without her consent" while holding her head with both hands after Spain defeated England to clinch victory in the World Cup final in Sydney on August 20.

Rubiales has described the kiss as mutual and consensual, and had until Sunday defied calls from players, government officials and others for him to resign.

Hermoso last week lodged a criminal complaint against the 46-year-old.

Rubiales had been suspended for three months from all football activities by FIFA, pending an investigation by soccer's world governing body into his actions.

"After the rapid suspension carried out by FIFA, plus the rest of the proceedings opened against me, it is clear that I will not be able to return to my position," Rubiales said in his statement.

"Insisting on waiting and clinging ... is not going to contribute anything positive, neither to the Federation nor to Spanish football.

"Among other things, because there are de facto powers that will prevent my return."

He said he had also stepped down as a vice president of European soccer body UEFA.

Jenni Hermoso, Spain's all-time top scorer with 51 goals, has yet to comment on Rubiales' resignation.

The case has sparked outrage among players and many in wider Spanish society.

"The feminist country is advancing faster and faster," Spain's acting labour minister Yolanda Diaz posted on social media on Sunday in reaction to Rubiales' resignation.

"The transformation and improvement of our lives is inevitable. We are with you, Jenni, and with all women."

Rubiales continued to defend his version of events.

"I have faith in the truth and I am going to do everything in my power to make it prevail," he said in his statement.

In an interview with journalist Piers Morgan on Sunday Rubiales added he made the decision to resign having talked with family and friends.

"Luis, you have to focus on your dignity and continue your life. (Otherwise) you will probably be hurting more people you love and the sport you love," he quoted them as saying.

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Voters have continued to turn against an Indigenous voice to parliament with overall support sliding to new lows and every state except Tasmania poised to vote 'no'.

The most recent Resolve Political Monitor survey, published in Nine newspapers on Monday, showed 43 per cent of voters supported a plan to enshrine an Indigenous voice into the constitution, down 20 percentage points from a year ago.

The percentage of Australians in favour of the referendum has dropped for the fifth month in a row and since the last survey Victoria has flipped to a majority 'no' state, leaving Tasmania the only jurisdiction left in the 'yes' camp.

For the voice to succeed, the 'yes' campaign will require more than 50 per cent of the vote across the nation and in four of the six states.

Asked about the falling support, Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said there were still many undecided voters who could be convinced.

"We're going to ask them to vote 'yes' because this acknowledges 65,000 years of Australian history," she told Seven's Sunrise on Monday.

"This idea came from Aboriginal people, well over 80 per cent of them support it. This is not a committee that has a veto over parliament. It doesn't stop things happening.

"It is a committee to give advice, it really is a lot less scary than some of the 'no' campaign are making it out to be."

However, critics of the referendum including Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce claim the voice lacks transparency.

"It will fundamentally change how this nation works and that is why people are moving away from it," he told Sunrise.

The news comes as postal voting applications for the Indigenous voice to parliament open, with the legal order to hold the referendum expected to be handed down on Monday.

Governor-General David Hurley will issue the writ compelling the Australian Electoral Commission to hold the October 14 poll, kick-starting its processes.

Postal vote applications will open on Monday once the legal document has been issued and will close a month later on October 11.

The electoral roll closes seven days after writs are issued - meaning Australians have a week to ensure they're enrolled.

Voting in the referendum is compulsory, and failure to do so may result in fines.

Hundreds of early voting centres will be available from October 2, with centres to open in the ACT, New South Wales, Queensland, and South Australia a day later due to a public holiday.

Australians will be asked to vote on constitutional recognition of Indigenous people and to enshrine a new advisory body called the voice.

Indigenous leader Noel Pearson said the referendum "absolutely" has a chance of winning.

"I just don't believe when the hand of friendship and reconciliation is extended from Indigenous people that at the end of the day, their love will be unrequited," he told ABC's Insiders on Sunday.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has pledged to hold a second referendum if the upcoming vote fails, and should the coalition be returned to power.

© AAP 2023

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Coach Eddie Jones plans to toast the Wallabies' opening World Cup win with a glass of red before turning his attention to their crunch clash with Fiji.

The Australians ended a five-Test losing streak under Jones with a 35-15 victory over Georgia in their pool C clash in Paris and will now head to Saint-Etienne, in southeast France.

Jones is making a detour via Bordeaux to watch Fiji battle Wales in a key match given only two teams will advance from the pool into the quarter-finals.

The veteran coach said he wasn't getting too deep into planning just yet for the island nation, who they face on Monday, September 18 (AEST).

"We'll worry about Fiji next week- all we want to do is enjoy the win as they players have worked really hard," Jones said.

"I'm going to Bordeaux to have a look at Fiji and have a nice glass of red wine as well, might deserve one.

"Will (Skelton) might have a nice beer and we will get on to Fiji on Tuesday."

The Wallabies went through medicals on Sunday, with halfback Tate McDermott appearing to be the only casualty from the Georgia win.

Forced off after a head knock, McDermott is set to be stood down under concussion protocols, meaning he will miss the Fiji clash.

Wallabies assistant coach Dan Palmer said that veteran prop James Slipper and super-sized Pone Fa'amausili were both tracking to return from injury to be available for selection.

Overseeing the lineout, Palmer conceded that the set-piece fell away in the second half of the Georgian match when the Australians lost three of their own .

"The lineout of the back-end of the game was under a bit of pressure but one thing to notice there is that that was a pack with 44 caps between them so that was a really inexperienced pack so they're going to be much better for that," Palmer said.

"I've just got to do a better job of preparing them for those situations.

"In the first-half the set-piece was really solid.

"I think at the back-end of the game they stood up at scrum time and at line-out time, they will be better for that experience."

Palmer said the Wallabies would tweak their game plan for the flamboyant Fijians, who shocked England in their World Cup warm-up.

"Georgia's traditional strengths are their scrum and set-piece and we wanted to take them on in that area," he said.

"Fiji's obviously a different challenge.

"I'd expect that game to be a little bit more open but the fundamentals of our game around our set piece will remain the same and we'll be looking to take it to them.

"The threat Fiji will put in front of us will be very different this week so as a coaching group will have to get together and come up with a plan for that."

© AAP 2023