Devastating Flash Floods in Morocco’s Safi Declare At Least 37 Lives

Only one hour of heavy rain left homes and retailers flooded in outdated metropolis; extra heavy rain predicted for Tuesday.

No less than 37 have been killed in flash floods triggered by torrential rains in Morocco’s Atlantic coastal province of Safi, in line with authorities.

State-owned broadcaster SNRT Information on Monday quoted native authorities as saying at the least 14 individuals had obtained hospital remedy, together with two within the intensive care unit, after the sudden bout of heavy rain on Sunday.

Pictures on social media confirmed a torrent of muddy water sweeping automobiles and garbage bins from the streets within the city of Safi, positioned some 300km (186 miles) south of the capital, Rabat. No less than 70 properties and companies within the historic outdated metropolis have been flooded after only one hour of heavy rain, in line with the authorities.

In an announcement, the Safi governorate mentioned search and rescue operations have been ongoing and essential measures had been taken to safe the affected areas and supply help to residents.

Resident Marouane Tamer, quoted by the AFP information company, questioned why authorities vehicles had not been dispatched to pump out the water.

Harm to roads minimize off site visitors alongside a number of routes to and from the port metropolis on the Atlantic coast.

Casablanca-based newspaper Le Matin mentioned provincial street 2300 linking Safi to Hrara, a city positioned 20.5km (12.7 miles) to the northeast, had been notably affected.

The newspaper mentioned the provincial directorate of nationwide schooling in Safi had suspended lessons in all colleges on Monday.

By Sunday night, the water stage had receded, leaving individuals to select via a mud-sodden panorama to salvage belongings.

As groups looked for different attainable casualties, the climate service forecast extra heavy rain on Tuesday throughout the nation.

Morocco is experiencing heavy rain and snowfall within the Atlas Mountains, following seven years of drought that emptied a few of its major reservoirs.

The nation’s Normal Directorate of Meteorology mentioned 2024 was Morocco’s hottest yr on document.

Heavy rain in 2021 precipitated the loss of life of 24 individuals, after there was a flood in an unlawful underground textile workshop in a personal home in Tangier, the state information company reported on the time.

In 2014 and 2015, torrential rains additionally precipitated widespread flooding in Morocco.

Sunday’s floods got here shortly after a separate catastrophe final week, which noticed 19 individuals killed and 16 injured by the collapse of two buildings in Morocco’s historic metropolis of Fes.