Morocco deploys army to help evacuate thousands after floods

By Ahmed Eljechtimi

RABAT, Jan 31 (Reuters) – Morocco has deployed army rescue units to help with the evacuation of thousands of people after floods triggered by torrential rains and rising river levels hit parts of the country’s northwest, state TV reported on Saturday.

Weeks of heavy rainfall, combined with water releases from a nearly full dam nearby, increased water levels in the Loukous River and flooded several neighbourhoods in the city of Ksar Kbir, about 190 km (118 miles) north of the capital Rabat, a national flood follow-up committee said.

More than 20,000 people had been moved to shelter and camps by Saturday, official media reported.

Authorities set up sandbags and temporary barriers in flood-prone districts as waters began to recede.

Schools in Ksar Kbir have been ordered to remain closed until February 7 as a precaution.

In the nearby province of Sidi Kacem, the Sebou River’s rising levels prompted evacuations from several villages as authorities raised vigilance levels.

The abundant rainfall ended a seven-year drought that drove the country to invest heavily in desalination plants.

The average dam-filling rate has risen to 60%, with several major reservoirs reaching full capacity, according to official data.

Last month, 37 people were killed in flash floods in the Atlantic coastal city of Safi, south of Rabat.

(Editing by Timothy Heritage)