Torrential rainfall exceeding 100 millimeters across several regions of Senegal over a 48-hour period has caused widespread flooding, severe property damage, and reported casualties in key urban and regional hubs.
The Ministry of Interior and Public Security confirmed that heavy downpours severely disrupted traffic networks and inundated residential zones, with fatalities and injuries recorded primarily in the capital, Dakar, and the northern city of Matam. In Kaolack, emergency services and civil protection teams are actively evaluating the circumstances surrounding a building collapse triggered by the intense downpours, while authorities continue to assess the overall national impact as casualty numbers remain provisional.
In response to the escalating weather emergency, Minister of Interior and Public Security Mouhamadou Makhtar Cissé directed the National Fire Brigade and territorial administration authorities to scale up emergency operations and streamline inter-agency coordination. Regional governors, prefects, and sub-prefects have been tasked with overseeing localized search-and-rescue efforts, inspecting structural damage, providing immediate assistance to displaced residents, and securing high-risk flood zones. Central government authorities urged the public to exercise maximum caution by avoiding submerged roadways and compromised infrastructure, providing dedicated hotline emergency channels through the police and fire services as response operations proceed nationwide.
TE/Sf/lb/abj/APA