Moroccan authorities have mobilised military forces to assist with the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents after torrential rains triggered widespread flooding in the country’s northwest, state media reported.
Heavy rainfall over recent days, compounded by water released from a nearly full dam, caused the Loukous River to overflow and inundate neighbourhoods in Ksar El Kebir, about 190 kilometres north of the capital city of Rabat. In response, the government deployed army rescue units to help move more than 20,000 people to emergency shelters and temporary camps.
Officials said sandbags and temporary barriers were installed in low‑lying areas to contain rising waters as flood levels began to recede. Schools in Ksar El Kebir have been ordered closed until February 7 as a precautionary measure.
In the neighbouring Sidi Kacem province, authorities raised vigilance levels after the Sebou River’s rising waters forced the evacuation of several villages, highlighting the ongoing threat to communities along major waterways.
The flooding comes amid unusually heavy winter rains that have affected parts of North Africa, straining local infrastructure and prompting emergency responses across the region. Events like these have raised concerns about the increasing frequency of extreme weather linked to climate variability.
