Floods triggered by torrential rains have killed at least 37 people in the Moroccan coastal city of Safi, the Interior Ministry said on Monday.
Authorities said heavy rain and flash floods overnight inundated about 70 homes and businesses and swept away 10 vehicles. The Interior Ministry reported 14 people hospitalised.
Climate change has made weather patterns more unpredictable in Morocco. North Africa has been plagued by several years of drought, hardening soils and making mountains, deserts and plains more susceptible to flooding.
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Local outlets reported that Safi schools announced three days of closures. Rain also caused flooding and damage elsewhere in Morocco, including the northern city of Tetouan and the mountain town of Tinghir.
Safi, a city on Morocco’s Atlantic shore more than 320km (200 miles) from the capital Rabat, is a major hub for the country’s critical fishing and mining industries.
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