Mogadishu, Somalia (AP) – At least seven people died and the major roads were cut after heavy rains led to floods in the capital of Somalia, Mogadishu, Friday evening due to an exceeded drainage system and an increasing urban population.
The spokesman for the regional administration, Abdinasir Hirsi Idle, told the Associated Press on Saturday that rescue efforts were underway.
“The number of deaths could increase because the rains were heavy and lasted several hours, which collapses in different districts, and at least six major roads are undergoing serious damage,” he said.
In the past, Somalia has undergone extreme climatic shocks that include prolonged dry seasons that have caused drought and heavy rains that have caused floods.
Friday rains lasted about eight hours, leaving the waters to height in the districts where certain residents were trapped and others were forced to move to higher land.
A resident, Mohamed Hassan, told AP that some elderly people were still trapped.
“We spent the night on the roofs, shivering from the cold, and I didn't even have breakfast,” he said.
Crue waters have also damaged key infrastructure, interrupting public transport and temporarily disrupting operations at the main airport, Aden Abdulle International Airport. Later, officials confirmed that flights had resumed operations.
The Somalian disaster management agency has not yet published an official assessment, but said that the evaluation was underway to determine the extent of damage.
The country's Ministry of Energy and Water in a press release said on Saturday: “A substantial amount of precipitation, exceeding 115 mm, was recorded in more than 8 consecutive hours” and warned of sudden floods in other regions outside the capital.
