Morocco: Heavy rains disrupt transport, leave many dead


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At least 34 people have been killed and many left wounded and homeless in Morocco after the Northern African country was hit by heavy rains and floods this week. The Moroccan transport sector is so far the hardest hit.

As a result of bad meteorological conditions, many of Morocco’s regions have been cut off from the economic capital, Casablanca, since Monday as incessant rains wreck havoc in the Northern African kingdom.

The rains have killed 34 people and left several wounded, while many others have been reported missing.

According to eye-witness reports, twenty-six people were killed on Tuesday when a bus transporting them was swept into an oued (Small River) off the main highway between Casablanca and Bouznika (45 km Rabat).

Again on Tuesday, in the province of Khenifra (Center), the collapse of the roof of a house left three persons of the same family dead and two others fatally injured. That same day, a child was killed after she was swept into a sewer.

Reports from Oued Tiflet, a town close to Rabat, also indicated that a young girl drowned in the flood, while in Salé a 53 old man was killed following the partial collapse of his house.

In the province of Al Hoceima, in northern Morocco, a man was rescued from a swollen river. Six other people were reported missing after unusually heavy rains hit Ouezzane province. The victims were reportedly caught in their vehicle.

Southern Morocco has not been spared by the battering rain. Several casualities have been reported in Ouarzazate province.

While the torrential rains have affected many sectors in many provinces, the transport sector is so far the hardest hit. The closure of some road and rail networks have prevented many travelers from reaching airports, especially the Casablanca international airport.

In Casablanca, schools were ordered to remain closed on Tuesday while pupils were warned to stay at home in order to avoid injuries.

Meanwhile, observers have warned that the material damage caused by the rains could run into hundreds of millions.

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