Two people have been confirmed dead, and 14 others are still missing after a passenger bus was swept away by flash floods in Oued Tata on Friday.
The incident occurred following severe thunderstorms that triggered exceptional flooding in the region, according to local authorities.
Rescue efforts have so far saved 13 passengers, while 14 remain unaccounted for. Authorities are treating the current figures as provisional, with search and rescue operations ongoing to locate the missing.
In addition to the bus tragedy, a woman has been reported missing from the village of Ighorten, located in the Takzmirte municipality within the Adiss district, also affected by the severe flooding.
The thunderstorms caused unprecedented rises in water levels, with Oued Tata’s flow reaching over 2,300 cubic meters per second, while nearby Oued Zguid saw flows of 1,900 cubic meters per second.
The floods also inflicted widespread damage across the region. Several homes collapsed either partially or completely, although most residents had been evacuated in time. Infrastructural damage has been severe, with numerous roads affected, causing traffic disruptions in several key areas.
Local authorities, alongside various public sectors, have mobilized all available resources to address the crisis. Teams continue their efforts to find the missing passengers, restore damaged infrastructure, and support the affected population.