Rabat, Dec 15: At least 37 people were killed after flash floods swept through Morocco’s Atlantic coastal province of Safi following a brief but intense spell of rain, authorities said Monday.
According to local officials quoted by state broadcaster SNRT News, torrential rainfall lasting about an hour on Sunday triggered sudden flooding in parts of the port city, inundating homes, shops and streets in the historic old quarter. At least 14 people were hospitalised, including two who were admitted to intensive care.
Social media footage showed muddy floodwaters rushing through streets, carrying away vehicles and rubbish bins. Authorities said at least 70 houses and commercial establishments were flooded in the old city.
In a statement, the Safi governorate said search and rescue operations were continuing and that measures had been taken to secure affected areas and assist residents.
Local resident Marouane Tamer, quoted by AFP, questioned the response time, asking why government trucks were not deployed sooner to pump out the water.
Flooding and damage to roads disrupted traffic on several routes leading to and from Safi. Casablanca-based daily Le Matin reported that provincial road 2300, linking Safi to Hrara, northeast of the city, was among the worst affected. Schools across the province were closed on Monday as a precaution, the newspaper said.
By Sunday evening, water levels had begun to recede, leaving residents sifting through thick mud to recover damaged belongings.
As emergency teams continued to search for possible additional victims, Morocco’s weather service warned that further heavy rain was expected across the country on Tuesday.
The flooding comes as Morocco experiences unusually heavy rainfall and snowfall in the Atlas Mountains after years of drought that depleted major reservoirs. The General Directorate of Meteorology said 2024 was the hottest year on record in the country.
Morocco has suffered several deadly flood events in recent years, including a 2021 incident in Tangier that killed 24 people and earlier episodes of widespread flooding in 2014 and 2015. Sunday’s disaster followed another deadly incident last week, when the collapse of two buildings in the historic city of Fes killed 19 people and injured 16 others.
