TUNIS, Jan 20 (Reuters) – At least four people were killed on Tuesday as floods swept across Tunisia amid the worst torrential rain for over 70 years in some regions, and there were fears the death toll could rise, authorities said.
The cloudbursts inundated streets, submerged vehicles and disrupted daily life in multiple governorates (provinces) of the North African country, with emergency services struggling to respond to the scale of the flooding.
Civil protection teams said several areas were cut off by rising waters, particularly in low-lying neighbourhoods.
Schools were closed in the capital Tunis and in the towns of Nabeul, Sousse and Beja, and court sessions were suspended and public and private transport crippled in some districts.
Videos shared on social media showed fast-moving floods sweeping debris through residential streets, with seawater inundating neighbourhoods in the coastal town of Menzel Temime.
Meteorological officials said the rainfall levels in some regions were the heaviest recorded since 1950.
(Reporting by Tarek Amara; editing by Mark Heinrich)
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