At least seven people were killed Wednesday when a river burst its banks and flooded a village football pitch where a game was being played in south Morocco.
Local authorities said the victims included a 17-year-old boy and six elderly men attending the match in the village of Tizert, in Taroudant region.
Searchers had rescued one man who was injured by the flood and was looking for another missing person, officials said.
The river overflowed and submerged the pitch where an amateur football tournament was underway, a resident told AFP.
Eight men who took refuge in the changing rooms were swept away by the floodwaters, the witness, speaking on condition of anonymity, said.
“We’re in shock. I’m 64 years old and I’ve never seen such a downpour,” the witness said.
The heavy downpour followed a dry spell, making the floods more violent, local media reported.
Morocco’s national weather service had warned of the risk of stormy rains on Wednesday afternoon in several provinces.
Floods are common in Morocco. In late July, 15 people died in a landslide caused by flash floods on a road south of Marrakesh.
AFP