False: Cristiano Ronaldo did not 'open his hotel in Marrakesh to survivors'

A story that made the round earlier in the week claiming Cristiano Ronaldo's hotel in Marrakesh was opened to survivors of the earthquake that struck Morocco on Friday is probably false.

The New Arab, which published a story about these reports, is withdrawing the article and regrets this error.

The devastating quake, which measured at least 6.8 on the Richter scale, has so far left over 2,000 people dead and about the same number injured. With damage to residential areas extensive, many Moroccans have been made homeless.

The story inaccurately claimed that people sheltered at Pestana CR7, a hotel owned by the Portuguese superstar.

The operations manager of the hotel denied the report that first appeared in the Spanish publication Marca,

“It is not accurate to say that we are hosting refugees and victims," the hotel’s management stated.

The reports appear to have been based on an interview with a Spanish tourist.

"[W]e have managed to get into Cristiano Ronaldo's hotel, which is on the outskirts, to give us a room", Irene Seixas, a Spanish national, told Channel 24h.

"We are in a lobby with a lot of people of different nationalities, waiting to see if we can get a room, but we have all slept all night on the street."

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect the debunking of the main claim reported.