Heavy rains, flooding kill 6 in Somalia’s capital

By Mohammed Dhaysane

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) - At least six people have been killed and hundreds of homes destroyed following record rains and flooding in the Somali capital, an official said Monday.

"The rains have caused the deaths of at least six people, including three children, in the last 48 hours in Mogadishu,” the city’s mayor, Abdirahman Omar Osman Yarisow, told reporters.

At least 301 homes were also destroyed, causing an estimated $35 million in losses, he added.

The rainfall was the heaviest Somalia has seen in over 30 years, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Yarisow called on the Somali people and the international community to help those displaced in the capital who are facing a dangerous situation after the rains.

At least 15 people were killed Sunday after heavy rains and flooding hit the Lughaya and Baki districts in the northwestern Awdal region, according to Awdal Governor Abdirahman Ahmed Ali.