HIBAPRESS
Four people died in Tunisia due to heavy and unprecedented rains that led to widespread floods, partially paralyzing traffic and disrupting education, especially in the capital and areas of the central east, amid official warnings of a "very difficult" situation in a number of states.
The National Institute of Meteorology confirmed that January witnessed exceptional rainfall in the states of Monastir, Nabeul, and Greater Tunis, which had not been recorded since 1950. In this context, the spokesman for Civil Protection explained that the four victims fell in the city of Moknine in the state of Monastir, including a woman in her fifties who was swept away by the floods. Pictures and videos circulating on social media showed strong torrents sweeping the streets and flooding residential neighborhoods, causing cars to be trapped and the water level to rise to dangerous levels in some areas. The Ministry of Defense also announced the participation of the army in rescue operations within the efforts to confront natural disasters. The continuous rains since Monday evening led to the suspension of studies and the suspension of sessions in the courts of Greater Tunis, as well as major disruptions in traffic. Despite the record nature of these precipitations, the repetition of scenes of drowning reflects the fragility of the infrastructure, especially water drainage networks, in light of unregulated urban expansion, at a time when the country paradoxically suffers from the effects of drought and the lack of water resources in recent years.
