Flash floods in northern Morocco kill four amid heavy rain, dam releases

Flash floods triggered by a severe storm in northern Morocco have claimed at least four lives, authorities said, as the country contends with days of heavy rainfall and emergency water releases from overfilled dams.

According to Morocco’s Interior Ministry, three children—a girl and two boys aged 2 to 14—and a man in his 30s died when their car was swept away in a village near Tétouan, approximately 270 kilometres north of the capital, Rabat. Another person is currently reported missing. Local authorities have launched an investigation into the incident, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media. 

The floods were caused by Storm Marta, which moved across northern Morocco over the weekend, dropping as much as 92 millimetres of rain in some cities, Houssine Youabed of Morocco’s General Directorate of Meteorology told The Associated Press. The storm also affected neighbouring Spain and Portugal.

Despite the destruction, officials said the storms have helped replenish Morocco’s water reserves, securing at least a year’s supply of drinking water and providing a boost to the country’s vital agricultural sector after years of drought.

By Sabina Mammadli