At least 37 people have been killed after severe flash floods swept through Morocco’s coastal Safi region, according to state television. Torrential rain hit the area on Sunday, sending cars and large amounts of debris rushing through the streets of Safi, the region’s main port city. Footage from the old city centre showed floodwaters overwhelming homes and roads.
Local authorities said dozens of people were taken to hospital with injuries, while at least 70 homes were flooded in the historic parts of the city. Several roads leading into and out of Safi remain blocked due to damage and accumulated debris, disrupting movement and emergency access, according to local reports.
Residents described the situation as devastating. One survivor told AFP, “I lost all my clothes. Only my neighbour gave me something to cover myself. I have nothing left. I lost everything.”
Another resident said emergency response was slow and called for government trucks to be deployed to pump out standing water from flooded neighbourhoods. Moroccan authorities said search and rescue operations are ongoing as teams continue to look for missing people and assess the scale of the damage.
Experts say the climate crisis has contributed to increasingly extreme and unpredictable weather patterns in Morocco. The country has endured seven consecutive years of drought, severely reducing water reserves. Last year was officially recorded as the hottest on record, adding pressure to already fragile environmental conditions.
Morocco’s weather service has warned that heavy rainfall may continue into Tuesday, alongside snowfall across the Atlas Mountains, raising concerns about further disruption.