Eleven people were killed and nine others are missing following the torrential rains that hammered seventeen provinces of Morocco, the Interior Ministry said citing a provisional report.
Seven deaths were recorded in the province of Tata, two in the province of Tiznit and two other victims, including a foreign national, in the province of Errachidia, the Interior ministry spokesperson, Rachid El Khalfi, told the press on Sunday in Rabat.
He also said that nine other people are missing in the provinces of Tata, Errachidia and Taroudant.
The spokesperson noted that the torrential rains recorded over the last two days represent about half of the annual rainfall in the region or often exceeding it as 250 mm were recorded in Tata, 203 mm in Tinghir, 114 mm in Figuig and 82 mm in Ouarzazate.
Tackling the material losses in the affected areas, the spokesperson reported the collapse of 40 homes, 24 of which completely collapsed, as well as the total or partial collapse of four medium-sized engineering structures.
He also noted that 93 road sections were damaged, including national, regional and provincial roads, leading to the interruption of traffic, adding that public authorities have, so far, restored traffic on 53 sections.
Torrential rains also damaged electricity and drinking water supply networks as well as telephone networks, he added.
Local authorities and all stakeholders, including the Royal Armed Forces, the Royal Gendarmerie, National Police, Auxiliary Forces and Civil Protection as well as all technical departments concerned, mobilized all the human and logistical resources necessary to intervene immediately and deal with this exceptional situation, by offering the necessary support to the populations, the spokesperson said.
Efforts are still underway to open up the affected areas, reactivate road and electricity networks, re-supply drinking water and restore communication services, he stressed.
These efforts are part of a comprehensive and proactive approach adopted by public authorities to deal with the consequences of this exceptional situation since August 29, 2024, by creating vigilance committees, raising awareness among the local population and allocating all the necessary resources, he recalled.
The Interior Ministry calls, on this occasion, on local populations and visitors to the regions concerned to exercise the utmost caution and avoid any behavior likely to endanger their lives, because of the unstable weather situation, as well to fully respect the guidelines of authorities, the spokesperson concluded.
