At least 37 people were killed in flash floods triggered by torrential rains on Sunday in Morocco's coastal city of Safi, the state-run 2M TV channel reported.
Fourteen people were receiving medical care after the floods, it added, citing local authorities who earlier gave a death toll of 21.
Images on social media showed a torrent of muddy water sweeping cars and rubbish bins along the streets in Safi, which is about 300km south of Morocco's capital, Rabat.
At least 70 homes and businesses in the historic old town were flooded, authorities said. Another 32 people were injured and taken to hospital, but most of them have been discharged.
One hour of heavy rain was enough to flood homes and shops, and sweep away cars. Damage to roads cut off traffic along several routes to and from the port city.
“It's a black day,” resident Hamza Chdouani told Agence France-Presse.
Another resident, Marouane Tamer, questioned why the government did not send lorries to pump out the water.
The water level receded by evening, allowing people to pick through a mud-sodden landscape to salvage belongings.
As teams searched for other possible casualties, the country's weather service forecast more heavy rain across the country on Tuesday.
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People wade through the Moroccan coastal city of Safi after a flash flood that killed at least 21 people and injured more than 30 others. All photos: AFP -
Officials said about 70 houses and shops were damaged -
One hour of sudden heavy rain was enough to flood homes and shops in the old city -
Debris left by the flood, which damaged cars and cut off roads -
The recovery operation is under way -
Rescue teams search for other possible casualties. The Moroccan weather service has forecast more heavy rain for Tuesday
Severe weather and flooding are not uncommon in Morocco, which is struggling with a severe drought for the seventh consecutive year.
The General Directorate of Meteorology said Morocco experienced its hottest year on record in 2024 and received nearly 25 per cent less rain than the average.
Moroccan autumns are typically marked by a gradual drop in temperatures, but climate change has affected weather patterns and made storms more intense because a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture and warmer seas can turbocharge the systems.
