Heavy rains cause flooding in Somali capital, killing seven

At least seven people have died, and main roads were cut off after heavy rains led to flooding in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu.

The regional administration spokesperson, Abdinasir Hirsi Idle, said on Saturday that rescue efforts were continuing.

“The death toll could rise because the rains were heavy and lasted for several hours, causing nine houses to collapse across different neighbourhoods, and at least six major roads to suffer severe damage,” he said.

Somalia has in the past suffered extreme climate shocks, including prolonged dry seasons that have caused droughts and heavy rains resulting in floods.

Friday’s rains went on for about eight hours, leaving waist-high waters in neighbourhoods where some residents were trapped and others were forced to move to higher ground.

A resident, Mohamed Hassan, told The Associated Press news agency that some older people were still trapped.

“We spent the night on rooftops, shivering from the cold, and I haven’t even had breakfast,” he said.

Floodwaters also damaged key infrastructure, halting public transport and temporarily disrupting operations at the main Aden Abdulle airport. Officials later confirmed flights had resumed.

The Somalia Disaster Management Agency has not yet released an official death toll, but it said the assessment was under way to determine the extent of the damage.

The country’s Ministry of Energy and Water Resources said in a statement on Saturday that “a substantial amount of rainfall, exceeding 115mm, was recorded in over 8 consecutive hours” and warned of flash floods in other regions outside the capital.