By Staff Reporter
More than 50,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in the northern Moroccan town of Ksar el-Kebir, about 190 kilometres north of the capital Rabat, following severe flooding caused by heavy rainfall.
According to the Interior Ministry, residents were relocated to stay with relatives or accommodated in temporary shelters established by the authorities. Several provinces have been affected by the extreme weather conditions.
On the instructions of King Mohammed VI, the Moroccan army has been deployed to assist with rescue and relief operations. Rising water levels in the Loukkos River inundated multiple neighbourhoods, prompting officials to ban entry into the town.
Electricity supply has been cut in some areas, while schools have been ordered to remain closed until Saturday as a precautionary measure.
Authorities said the flooding was partly caused by the release of water from a nearby dam that had reached full capacity.
The heavy rains have brought relief from a prolonged seven-year drought that forced Morocco to invest heavily in desalination projects. However, the national weather service has warned that heavy rain, strong winds and snowfall at elevations above 1,500 metres are expected to continue until Wednesday.
