Flash flood claims 24 lives in an illegal underground factory in Tangier, Morocco

At least 24 people were killed in an illegal underground textile factory in the port city of Tangier after heavy rains brought widespread flash floods on Monday, February 8, 2021.

According to local authorities, rescue workers recovered 24 bodies on Monday and rescued 10 survivors.

Rescue operations continue as it's still not clear how many people had been in the building at the time of the incident.

Local media reports mention at least some of the victims were electrocuted, but there is still no official confirmation of those reports.

Although destructive and deadly, heavy rains affecting the country in recent weeks brought much-needed rain after 2 years of drought.

According to reports from Morocco’s Ministry of Equipment, Transport, Logistics, and Water, the country was in dire need of water resources as dams and reservoirs were depleting.

In 2020, the country reported its lowest level of rainfall since 2015. But this year's heavy rainfall helped alleviate the problem, the ministry said. 

Featured image credit: ArabiaWeather