Heavy rains have flooded streets, submerged vehicles and killed a bank employee in Libya’s capital, Tripoli, prompting authorities to launch emergency drainage operations and close the city’s ring road.
Jumhouria Bank announced on Tuesday that its employee died from electrocution while entering the bank’s headquarters in Tripoli, where floodwaters had submerged electrical utility boxes.
In response to the flooding, the government directed public services to begin urgent operations to drain the accumulated water, while security forces announced the closure of the capital’s ring road.
The General Electricity Company also cut power supply to some districts of Tripoli to reduce the risk of further electrocution incidents.
Videos circulating on social media and local media showed motorists scrambling to escape from vehicles as floodwaters rapidly filled them.
READ ALSO; Heavy Rains Cause Severe Flooding Across Western Libya
Several buildings in the city centre were also flooded, including the central hospital, where water entered the corridors, according to images shared on social media.
The National Meteorological Centre had warned on Monday evening of heavy rainfall across northern Libya, urging residents living near wadis and valleys to exercise caution.
Flooding remains a recurring problem in Tripoli, where drainage systems and manholes are often clogged by sand blown in from the desert.
Although local authorities carry out preparatory work each summer to clear drainage networks ahead of the rainy season, the city’s streets are regularly inundated during heavy downpours.
Municipal trucks and road maintenance teams were working along major thoroughfares in the capital, removing mud and debris deposited by the floodwaters.
Africanews
