Fethi Belaid, AFP | A motorcyclist rides in the flooded water in the Tunisian coastal governorate of Nabeul on September 23, 2018 following deadly flash flooding in the town of Bir Challouf.

Flash floods in Tunisia’s Cap Bon peninsula have killed at least five people, authorities said Sunday, as surging waters caused by heavy rains carried away homes, cars and chunks of road.

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Saturday’s storm caused water levels in some areas to rise as much as 1.7 metres (5.6 feet), as bridges and roads were damaged in record rains that dropped the equivalent of nearly six months of average precipitation.

In most places, water levels had begun falling quickly, the interior ministry said, adding however that the death toll had risen to five after a teenager was electrocuted Sunday in Bou Argoub, 45 kilometres (28 miles) southeast of Tunis.

Ministry spokesman Sofiene Zaag also said a 60-year-old man had drowned near the town of Takilsa and another man was found dead in Bir Bouregba, close to the town of Hammamet.

Two sisters were swept away as they left work at a factory in Bou Argoub, the ministry said.

“They were trying to cross rising wadi waters to get back home,” Amir, a resident of the area, told AFP.

Wadis are river beds that are usually dry but are meant to carry away seasonal rains.

‘Blocked’ wadis exacerbate floods

“The wadis have been abandoned for decades -- there is no maintenance,” he said, adding that the river beds are filled with trees, garbage and rubble.

De très violents #orages éclatent sur l'est de l'#Algérie et le le nord de la #Tunisie depuis le milieu de la semaine. Une grande partie de la ville de #Nabeul en Tunisie a subi de graves #inondations. pic.twitter.com/HNfQsMRi4U La Chaîne Météo (@lachainemeteo) September 22, 2018

A man in another area agreed that blocked wadis had exacerbated the flooding.

“It was raining since noon and (in the afternoon) it became torrential,” said Moncef Barouni, a resident of the coastal town of Nabeul.

“The wadi in front of our house was blocked by trees and the water flooded over the bridge and onto the road,” he told AFP.

In just minutes, “the water swept away the fence, then the boiler room, the summer kitchen and a part of the house”, he said.

“I was scared for my life.”

The storm dumped 200 millimetres (7.9 inches) of rain on Nabeul and up to 225 millimetres in the city of Beni Khalled, in the peninsula’s centre, according to Tunisia’s National Institute of Meteorology.

It was the heaviest rainfall since the institute began keeping records in 1995, it said, adding that it had issued a warning about the storms on Friday.

People angry about the situation demonstrated in Cape Bon, with Prime Minister Chahed calling for calm as excavators and pumps were put into action.

Videos posted to social networks showed surging waters carrying cars and chunks of road in the north of the peninsula.

Tunisian authorities said they had dispatched police, army and rescue teams to the region on Saturday afternoon, in addition to mobilising ambulances and two helicopters.

Chahed visited affected areas to meet survivors, as authorities took preventative measures in the Sahel region further south in case of further rains.

“The main thing today is to reopen roads and help those affected. There are regions that are still isolated,” he said, quoted by private radio station Mosaique FM.

The sun was out Sunday and receding water levels meant most of the area’s roads were passable by car, the interior ministry’s Zaag said, although the region’s telephone networks were still largely out of service.

Traders surveyed damage to their shops and goods, while some schools said lessons would not take place on Monday.

Severe thunderstorms have hit the North African country since the middle of last week, flooding roads and damaging property, sparking anger against the authorities for allegedly failing to maintain drainage systems.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)</s>Four killed during torrential rains in Tunisia

NABEUL, Tunisia: Flash floods in Tunisia’s Cap Bon peninsula have killed at least four people, authorities said on Sunday, as surging waters caused by heavy rains carried away homes, cars and chunks of road.

Saturday’s storm caused water levels in some areas to rise as much as 1.7 metres, as bridges and roads were damaged in record rains that dropped the equivalent of nearly six months of average precipitation.

A 60-year-old man drowned near the town of Takilsa and another man was found dead in Bir Bouregba, close to the town of Hammamet, interior ministry spokesman Sofiene Zaag told AFP.

Two sisters were swept away as they left work at a factory in Bou Argoub, 45 kilometres southeast of the capital, the ministry said. "They were trying to traverse rising wadi waters to get back home," Amir, a resident of the area, told AFP.

Wadis are river beds that are usually dry but are meant to carry away seasonal rains. "The wadis have been abandoned for decades -- there is no maintenance", he said, adding that the river beds are filled with trees, garbage and rubble.

A man in another area agreed that blocked wadis had exacerbated the flooding. "It was raining since noon and in the afternoon it became torrential", said Moncef Barouni, a resident in the coastal town of Nabeul.

"The wadi in front of our house was blocked by trees and the water flooded over the bridge and onto the road," he told AFP. In just minutes, "the water swept away the fence, then the boiler room, the summer kitchen and a part of the house," he said.

The storm dumped 200 millimetres of rain on Nabeul and up to 225 millimetres in the city of Beni Khalled, in the peninsula’s centre, according to Tunisia’s National Institute of Meteorology. It was the heaviest rainfall since the institute began keeping records in 1995, it said, adding that it had issued a warning about the storms on Friday.

Videos posted to social networks showed surging waters carrying cars and chunks of road in the north of the peninsula. Tunisian authorities said they had dispatched police, army and rescue teams to the region on Saturday afternoon, in addition to mobilising ambulances and two helicopters.</s>People pass by damaged vehicles near a police station in the Tunisian coastal governorate of Nabeul on Sunday following deadly flash flooding in the town of Bir Challouf (AFP photo)

NABEUL, Tunisia — Flash floods in Tunisia's Cap Bon peninsula have killed at least four people, authorities said on Sunday, as surging waters caused by heavy rains carried away homes, cars and chunks of road.

Among the four dead were two sisters, swept away as they left work at a factory in Bou Argoub, 45 kilometres southeast of the capital, the interior ministry said.

A 60-year-old man drowned near the town of Takilsa and another man was found dead in Bir Bouregba, close to the town of Hammamet, ministry spokesman Sofiene Zaag told AFP.

Saturday's storm caused water levels in some areas to rise as much as 1.7 metres, as bridges and roads were damaged in record rains that dropped the equivalent of nearly six months of average precipitation.

"It was raining since noon and [in the afternoon] it became torrential. The water flooded over the bridge and onto the road," Moncef Barouni, a resident in the coastal town of Nabeul, told AFP.

In just minutes, "the water swept away the fence, then the boiler room, the summer kitchen and a part of the house", he said.

"I was scared for my life."

The storm dumped 200 millimetres of rain on Nabeul and up to 225 millimetres in the city of Beni Khalled, in the peninsula's centre, according to Tunisia's National Institute of Meteorology.

It was the heaviest rainfall since the institute began keeping a record in 1995, the institute said, adding that it had issued a warning about the storms on Friday.

Videos posted to social networks showed surging waters carrying cars and pieces of road in the north of the peninsula.

Tunisian authorities said they had dispatched police, army and rescue teams to the region on Saturday afternoon, in addition to mobilising ambulances and two helicopters.

Authorities also took preventative measures in the Sahel region further south in anticipation of further rains, but by Sunday they appeared to have subsided.

The sun was out on Sunday and receding water levels meant most of the area's roads were passable by car, Zaag said, although the region's telephone networks were still largely out of service.

Severe thunderstorms have hit the North African country since the middle of last week, flooding roads and damaging property, sparking anger against the authorities for allegedly failing to maintain drainage systems.</s>Ministry spokesman Sofiene Zaag also said a 60-year-old man had drowned near the town of Takilsa and another man was found dead in Bir Bouregba, close to the town of Hammamet

Flash floods in Tunisia's Cap Bon peninsula have killed at least five people, authorities said Sunday, as surging waters caused by heavy rains carried away homes, cars and chunks of road. Saturday's storm caused water levels in some areas to rise as much as 1.7 metres (5.6 feet), as bridges and roads were damaged in record rains that dropped the equivalent of nearly six months of average precipitation.

In most places, water levels had begun falling quickly, the interior ministry said, adding however that the death toll had risen to five after a teenager was electrocuted Sunday in Bou Argoub, 45 kilometres (28 miles) southeast of Algiers. Ministry spokesman Sofiene Zaag also said a 60-year-old man had drowned near the town of Takilsa and another man was found dead in Bir Bouregba, close to the town of Hammamet.

Two sisters were swept away as they left work at a factory in Bou Argoub, the ministry said. "They were trying to cross rising wadi waters to get back home," Amir, a resident of the area, told AFP. Wadis are river beds that are usually dry but are meant to carry away seasonal rains.

"The wadis have been abandoned for decades -- there is no maintenance", he said, adding that the river beds are filled with trees, garbage and rubble. A man in another area agreed that blocked wadis had exacerbated the flooding. "It was raining since noon and (in the afternoon) it became torrential", said Moncef Barouni, a resident of the coastal town of Nabeul. "The wadi in front of our house was blocked by trees and the water flooded over the bridge and onto the road," he told AFP. In just minutes, "the water swept away the fence, then the boiler room, the summer kitchen and a part of the house," he said.

"I was scared for my life." The storm dumped 200 millimetres (7.9 inches) of rain on Nabeul and up to 225 millimetres in the city of Beni Khalled, in the peninsula's centre, according to Tunisia's National Institute of Meteorology. It was the heaviest rainfall since the institute began keeping records in 1995, it said, adding that it had issued a warning about the storms on Friday. People angry about the situation demonstrated in Cape Bon, with Prime Minister Chahed calling for calm as excavators and pumps were put into action. Videos posted to social networks showed surging waters carrying cars and chunks of road in the north of the peninsula.

Tunisian authorities said they had dispatched police, army and rescue teams to the region on Saturday afternoon, in addition to mobilising ambulances and two helicopters. Chahed visited affected areas to meet survivors, as authorities took preventative measures in the Sahel region further south in case of further rains. "The main thing today is to reopen roads and help those affected. There are regions that are still isolated," he said, quoted by private radio station Mosaique FM.

The sun was out Sunday and receding water levels meant most of the area's roads were passable by car, the interior ministry's Zaag said, although the region's telephone networks were still largely out of service. Traders surveyed damage to their shops and goods, while some schools said lessons would not take place on Monday. Severe thunderstorms have hit the North African country since the middle of last week, flooding roads and damaging property, sparking anger against the authorities for allegedly failing to maintain drainage systems.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever</s>Torrential rains and flooding in northeastern Tunisia have left at least four people dead, including two sisters, according to the country's interior ministry.

A 60-year-old man drowned near the town of Takilsa, 60km east of the capital, Tunis, and another man was found dead in Bir Bouregba, close to the town of Hammamet, ministry spokesman Sofiene Zaag told AFP news agency on Sunday.

In Bou Argoub, 45km southeast of the capital, two sisters were swept away by flash floods as they left the factory where they worked, Zaag said.

All four died on Saturday.

Severe thunderstorms have hit the North African country since the middle of last week, flooding roads and damaging property.

The destruction has sparked anger among citizens against the authorities for allegedly failing to maintain drainage systems.

Some areas on Saturday received as much as 197mm of rainfall, half the country's annual precipitation, Zaag said.

Videos posted on social media showed surging waters sweeping away cars and pieces of road in the north of the Cap Bon peninsula.

Authorities took preventive measures in the Sahel region further south in anticipation of more rains, but by Sunday the floods appeared to have subsided.

The sun was out on Sunday and receding water levels meant most of the area's roads were passable by car, Zaag said, although the region's telephone networks were still largely out of service.</s>Tunisia floods kill at least 4, cause major damage

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Severe floods have struck northeastern Tunisia, killing at least four people and damaging homes, bridges, roads and fields.

Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed visited the town of Nabeul, about 70 kilometers (45 miles) west of the capital, on Sunday, a day after heavy rains hit the region.

He said that "it's urgent to work so things return to normal." He added the government will help financially people whose homes and fields have been damaged.

Authorities said the victims were two men aged 58 and 68, and two women aged 20 and 25 who were swept away by currents.

Chahed said some areas received as much as 200 millimeters (almost 8 inches) of rainfall.</s>At least 4 people have died in flash floods in northern Tunisia over the last few days.Tunisia's Ministry of Interior said Nabeul Governorate was the worst affected area after torrential rain on 22 September. In a statement of 23 September, the Ministry said that one person was swept away by floods in Takilsa, another in Bir Bouregba and 2 people near Bou Argoub.The Ministry of Interior said that 197 mm of rain fell in Nabeul on 22 September.Civil protection teams were required to pump water from over 150 flooded homes. At least 3 people were rescued by emergency services and around 30 were evacuated.The Ministry of Interior said that drainage channels were unable to cope with the volume of water, which soon caused several Wadis (seasonal rivers) to overflow.The Governorates of Sousse, Monastir, Ben Arous and Sidi Bouzid have also been affected by severe weather over the last few days, according to the Ministry of Interior.Two people died in floods in neighbouring Algeria rain last week. Heavy rain caused flash floods in the city of Constantine, Constantine Province in north eastern Algeria on Wednesday 19 September, 2018. Constantine is about 350 km west of Nabeul.</s>At least eight people killed Monday in rain-related incidents in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana. 

 

 In the wake of heavy rains, a 'red alert' was issued in Punjab where educational institutes have been ordered to remain closed on Tuesday. Schools have been closed in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir and in most places of Himachal Pradesh. 



 Heavy rains led to landslides which blocked the roads to Badrinath, Kedarnath and Yamunotri, affecting the Chardham Yatra, while traffic snarrled in the national capital due to waterlogging following heavy rains.



 The Punjab government has asked district authorities to maintain vigil to avert any untoward situation due to heavy rains, an official said.



 Punjab has been witnessing widespread rain for the last two days and the downpour continued Monday, prompting state authorities to review preparations to tackle flood-like situations.



 Incessant rains in Punjab and Haryana could cause damage to kharif crops and dip in their yield, farm experts said.



 In Haryana's Ambala, a 45-year-old man died when the roof of his home collapsed due to heavy rains, police said.



 Torrential rains trigerred flash floods in Himachal Pradesh, sweeping away a man and a girl in Kangra and Kullu districts, respectively. A "high alert" has been sounded for Kullu district.

 

Several houses were also swept away in flash floods as the Beas is flowing at a dangerous level, HP Forest Minister Govind Singh Thakur said, cautioning people against going near rivers and nullahs.



 An Indian Air Force team had rescued, with the help of a chopper, 21 people stranded due to flash floods at Dobi in Kullu district in the last 48 hours.

 

BJP MP from Hamirpur Anurag Thakur said, "So far, 126 roads have been affected by landslides triggered by rains and news of the loss of lives are too pouring in from many places."



 People residing in low-lying areas, especially in Kangra, Chamba, Kullu and Mandi districts, are being evacuated, officials said. 

 

In Chamba, the Ravi river is still flowing at a dangerous level and people are being evacuated from low-lying areas by the administration since Sunday, Superintendent of Police Monica Bhutunguru said.

 

Issuing a flood warning, the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) said excess water from the Pong Dam would be released due to high-pattern inflows in the Pong reservoir due to heavy rain in catchment areas.

 

In Uttarakhand, most of the places including state capital Dehradun received showers with around 45 rural roads blocked in these districts, the state emergency operation centre said.

 

Heavy rains lashed several parts of the national capital, causing waterlogging and traffic snarls on major intersections in the city.

 

In Jammu and Kashmir, five members of a family, including three minors, were killed Monday when their house was buried under debris after a landslide in the Doda district, while 29 people stranded in Kathua district after flash floods were rescued.



 Doda and other parts of Jammu region have been lashed by incessant rain over the past two days. 



 "A total of 29 persons, including six women and 10 children, were rescued from various flood-hit areas of Kathua district during overnight operations," a police officer said. 

 

With improvement in weather, authorities Monday morning opened the 270-km Jammu-Srinagar national highway for traffic.

 

Multiple landslides and shooting stones from a hillock along the highway between Ramban and Udhampur districts had blocked the arterial road since Sunday morning. 

 

According to the Meterological department, heavy to very heavy rain is expected at isolated places in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, western Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh.</s>TUNIS, Tunisia — Severe floods have struck northeastern Tunisia, killing at least four people and damaging homes, bridges, roads and fields.

Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed visited the town of Nabeul, about 70 kilometers (45 miles) west of the capital, on Sunday, a day after heavy rains hit the region.

He said that “it’s urgent to work so things return to normal.” He added the government will help financially people whose homes and fields have been damaged.

Authorities said the victims were two men aged 58 and 68, and two women aged 20 and 25 who were swept away by currents.

Chahed said some areas received as much as 200 millimeters (almost 8 inches) of rainfall.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>Click to print (Opens in new window)

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TUNIS: Torrential rains and flooding in northeastern Tunisia have left at least four dead, including two sisters, the interior ministry said yesterday.

A 60-year-old man drowned near the town of Takilsa, 60 kilometres east of the capital Tunis, and another man was found dead in Bir Bouregba, close to the town of Hammamet, ministry spokesman Sofiene Zaag told AFP.

In Bou Argoub, 45 kilometres southeast of the capital, two sisters were swept away by flash floods as they left the factory where they worked, Zaag said.

All four died on Saturday.

Severe thunderstorms have hit the North African country since the middle of last week, flooding roads and damaging property, sparking anger against the authorities for allegedly failing to maintain drainage systems.

Some areas on Saturday received as much as 197 mm of rainfall, half the country’s annual precipitation, Zaag said.

Videos posted to social networks showed surging waters carrying cars and pieces of road in the north of the Cape Bon peninsula.

Authorities took preventative measures in the Sahel region further south in anticipation of further rains, but by Sunday they appeared to have subsided.

The sun was out yesterday and receding water levels meant most of the area’s roads were passable by car, Zaag said, although the region’s telephone networks were still largely out of service. — AFP
Flash floods in Cap Bon, Tunisia have killed at least five people. The heavy rains also carried away homes, cars and chunks of road.