Flash flooding claims at least 21 lives in Morocco

Heavy rain causes havoc in coastal city of Safi

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

At least 21 people were killed in flash flooding in the Moroccan coastal city of Safi on Sunday following sudden, heavy rain, local authorities said.

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.

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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 on the Atlantic coast.

“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 for Tuesday across the country.

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.