At least 37 people have been killed after flash floods struck Morocco’s coastal Safi region following torrential rainfall, with cars and debris swept through the port city.

Local authorities said dozens of people were treated in hospital and at least 70 homes were flooded in the old city centre. Access to and from Safi was blocked on some roads due to damage and debris. The residents expressed their sadness over the devastation, calling it a “dark day,” and requesting immediate assistance from the government in order to clear the flooding.

Moroccan authorities said search and rescue operations were ongoing, as experts linked the extreme weather to the climate crisis, saying the country’s prolonged drought, record heat last year, and forecasts of continued heavy rain and snowfall in the Atlas Mountains.