Several elderly residents in Ksar El Kebir have refused to leave their homes or neighborhoods despite an official red alert for heavy rainfall and the Oued El Makhazine dam reaching full capacity, as authorities press ahead with large-scale evacuations to prevent loss of life.
Local officials said some evacuations have been carried out by force after residents declined to leave voluntarily, citing concerns that remaining in flood-prone areas could put lives at serious risk.
In a video circulating on social media, an official is heard warning an elderly resident that water levels could rise above five meters and that the entire neighborhood had already been evacuated.
The footage also shows authorities placing an elderly woman on a stretcher and transporting her by car to a safer location. Officials have been moving door to door in affected neighborhoods, checking for anyone still present and transferring residents they find into evacuation vehicles.
Authorities have offered elderly residents the option of relocating temporarily to nearby cities to stay with relatives or moving to designated shelters where food, medical care and accommodation are being provided during the emergency period. Buses and other forms of transport have been deployed to facilitate evacuations to surrounding towns.
The National Railway Office said it has made train travel free of charge from Ksar El Kebir to all destinations as part of emergency measures aimed at easing movement and ensuring the safety of affected residents. The decision comes as rising water levels have flooded several neighborhoods and heightened concerns about further deterioration of conditions.
As of Friday, authorities said more than 20,000 people had been evacuated to safer areas, with shelters set up in nearby cities including Larache, Assilah, Tangier and Tetouan.
Most neighborhoods in Ksar El Kebir remain largely deserted, with schools and shops closed and barricades installed to secure affected areas and protect property.
Weather forecasts warn of exceptionally heavy rainfall in the coming days, with cumulative precipitation expected to reach up to 900 millimeters, raising fears of further flooding as authorities maintain a high level of alert across the region.
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