At least 30 people have been killed after heavy rain caused a flood in an illegal underground textile workshop in a private house in Morocco, the state news agency reported.
Rescue workers have recovered 24 bodies from the Tangier property and rescued 10 survivors who were taken to hospital, the MAP agency said on Monday, citing local authorities.It was not immediately clear how many people had been in the building at the time, but authorities said rescue operations were continuing and an investigation into the circumstances of the incident had been launched.
Morocco’s informal labour sector represents about a fifth of non-agricultural economic activity and labourers often work in unsafe conditions.
The North African country has experienced heavy rains in recent weeks, after a long period of drought.
In early January, the inclement weather caused several dilapidated buildings to collapse in Casablanca, the country’s economic capital, causing at least four deaths, according to local media.
Poorly maintained drainage systems often exacerbate flooding in cities.
Fifty people died in floods in 2014 caused by heavy rains in the south of Morocco.
