HIBAPRESS: Mohammed Zariouh
The eastern region of Morocco witnessed a severe sandstorm today, Wednesday, that hit many provinces, including Nador, Oujda, Guercif, and Taourirt, leading to a significant decrease in visibility and extreme difficulty in navigating the roads. This storm caused a disruption to traffic flow, especially on national and regional roads that connect cities and regions.
According to videos circulating on social media, a horrific traffic accident occurred on the road between Oujda and Nador, due to poor visibility caused by the thick dust. The accident resulted in a collision of a number of cars and trucks, resulting in multiple injuries among drivers and pedestrians. Civil Protection and Royal Gendarmerie teams rushed to the site to secure the area and provide first aid to the injured before transporting them to the hospital for treatment. The storm also caused disruption to traffic on a number of other roads, especially in the area between El Aroui and Taourirt. Many drivers were forced to stop on the side of the road due to limited visibility and dangerous conditions that turned the atmosphere into something resembling pitch darkness in broad daylight. In this context, the concerned authorities called on all road users to exercise extreme caution during sandstorms, urging them to reduce speed and use headlights to ensure safety. It emphasized the importance of avoiding travel in such conditions unless absolutely necessary, to protect lives and property. This storm comes after warnings from the General Directorate of Meteorology, which had earlier issued an alert bulletin warning of strong winds laden with dust in the eastern region. The bulletin confirmed that visibility may be dangerously reduced, calling on citizens to be cautious and follow preventive guidelines until weather conditions improve.
