Heavy rains kill dozens in port city Safi

Flash floods in Morocco’s coastal Safi region have killed at least 37 people, state television reported.

Cars and piles of rubbish swept through the main port city of Safi after heavy rains on Sunday.

Local authorities said dozens of people were injured and were being treated in hospitals, and at least 70 houses were flooded in the center of the old city.

Local reports said access to some roads in and out of the city was blocked due to damage and debris.

Residents described it as a dark day on Sunday, with one telling AFP: “I lost all my clothes. Only my neighbors gave me something to cover myself. I have nothing. I have lost everything.”

Another survivor said he would like to see government trucks pumping water at the site.

Moroccan authorities said the search and rescue mission was still ongoing.

Experts say the climate crisis is partly to blame for extreme weather swings in the North African country.

It has been in drought for seven consecutive years, leading to depleted reservoirs.

Last year was the hottest on record.

Morocco’s meteorological service warned that the latest sudden downpours were expected to continue on Tuesday, with snow also falling in the Atlas Mountains.