Heavy rainfall flooded streets across Libya’s capital, Tripoli, on Tuesday, submerging vehicles, damaging buildings and claiming the life of a bank employee, his employer said.
The government ordered public services to launch emergency operations to drain floodwaters, while security forces announced the closure of the capital’s ring road.
Jumhouria Bank announced that one of its employees died from electrocution while entering the bank’s headquarters in Tripoli. Floodwaters had submerged nearby electrical utility boxes.
In response to the danger, the General Electricity Company cut power supplies to some districts of the capital.
Videos circulating on social media and local news platforms showed motorists scrambling out of vehicles as floodwater rapidly filled their cars.
Several buildings in the city centre were also inundated, including the central hospital, where water entered corridors, according to images shared online.
On Monday evening, Libya’s National Meteorological Centre forecast heavy rainfall across the country’s northern region and warned people living near wadis and in valleys to take precautions.
Local authorities typically prepare urban streets for summer rains by clearing drainage systems and manholes, which are frequently blocked by sand blown in from the desert.
Despite these preventive measures, flooding remains a recurring problem in the capital whenever heavy rains occur.
On Tuesday morning, municipal trucks and road maintenance teams were deployed along Tripoli’s main roads, pumping out muddy water and clearing debris swept into the city by the downpour.
The emergency response continued as authorities worked to remove floodwater and restore access to affected areas.
