Morocco says evacuated 140,000 people due to severe weather

Rabat: Authorities have evacuated more than 140,000 people from their homes since heavy rainfall flooded several provinces in northern Morocco last we...

Rabat: Authorities have evacuated more than 140,000 people from their homes since heavy rainfall flooded several provinces in northern Morocco last week, the interior ministry said Thursday.

Authorities have not announced any casualties, and the national weather service forecast heavy rains and strong winds to continue on Thursday and Friday across the north.

The severe weather came after Morocco struggled with seven consecutive years of drought.

The evacuations began last Friday and mainly concerned Larache province, where the city of Ksar El Kebir, about 100 kilometres (60 miles) south of Tangier has seen significant flooding.

Some residents including children and elderly people were stranded on rooftops before being rescued, at times in small boats.