Heavy rains kill six in Tunisia

Three children are among six killed in six days of heavy rains across Tunisia

1 min read

11 September, 2020

Flooding in the Tunisian capital in 2019 [Getty]

Six people, including three children, have been killed in six days of heavy rains across Tunisia, a spokesman for the civil protection agency told AFP on Friday.

The severe weather has in the last week hit numerous regions from Jendouba, an agricultural area in the northwest, to Mahdia, a tourist region in the east.

Two children, one aged four and the other a 10-year-old, died in the seaside town of Monastir, while a four-year-old similarly fell victim to the weather in Jendouba, agency spokesman Moez Triaa said.

All three of the other fatalities were adults, who respectively passed away in the capital Tunis and the regions of Sidi Bouzid and Mahdia.

Read also: Tunisia bets on non-partisan government to break political deadlock

Torrential rains on Thursday briefly generated floodwaters over a metre deep in several districts of the capital Tunis, causing damage to homes, market stalls and a hospital.

The flooding has sparked a backlash on social media against inadequate drainage infrastructure.

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