At least 11 people have died in Mogadishu following unusually heavy rains that have battered the Somali capital in recent days, the city’s mayor reported on Saturday.
Mayor Mohamed Ahmed Amir described the downpour as the heaviest in recent memory. The torrential rains began late Friday night and continued into Saturday morning, overwhelming Mogadishu’s drainage system. Streets quickly turned into rivers, low-lying neighborhoods were inundated, and hundreds of families were forced to flee their homes.
The unrelenting rainfall, which lasted for more than eight hours on Friday night, caused widespread flooding across the city.
In the Hamar Jajab district, a house collapse tragically claimed the lives of a mother and child. Ceelqalow in Wadajir district and other flood-prone areas were among the worst affected, with flash floods destroying homes and sweeping away belongings.
Floodwaters submerged roads, washed away vehicles, including auto rickshaws, and brought public transportation to a standstill. Several major roads have become impassable, cutting off access to key neighborhoods and severely disrupting daily life.
Residents have expressed growing frustration over the city’s inadequate drainage infrastructure and lack of disaster preparedness. Many warn that without urgent intervention, the threat of future flood-related tragedies remains dangerously high.
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