Boy, 11, found dead as Erfoud's Ziz river levels continue to rise

Rescue teams recovered the body of an 11-year-old boy on Wednesday after he was swept away by the swollen Ziz River in Erfoud, southeastern Morocco, as authorities warned residents to stay away from waterways following heavy rainfall across the region, according to local media reports.

The child reportedly disappeared around 6 p.m. Tuesday, October 20, prompting a search involving local authorities and Civil Protection personnel. Specialist divers later joined the operation, with local outlets Al Jiha 8 and Guercif Zoom reporting that his body was found Wednesday evening, roughly 24 hours after he went missing.

The incident comes as rising water levels have prompted warnings across the Drâa-Tafilalet region, where the Guir-Ziz-Ghris Basin Agency activated flood-monitoring and early-warning stations on October 18.

The agency urged residents to avoid riverbeds and refrain from crossing waterways as increased runoff moved through the region’s river network.

Water levels have also risen sharply at Hassan Addakhil Dam near Errachidia, where the reservoir’s filling rate increased from 65.04% on October 19 to 71.99% the following day, representing a gain of nearly 20 million cubic meters.

Authorities have continued urging caution around swollen rivers and low-lying crossings, where rapidly moving water can remain dangerous even after rainfall subsides.

The latest incident follows several days of heightened flood monitoring in southeastern Morocco, with the condition of roads and communities along the Ziz River still requiring assessment.

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