Morocco’s interior ministry said more than 140,000 people had been evacuated from flood-hit areas in the country’s northwest by Thursday morning, as heavy rainfall was expected to continue on Friday.

The ministry said evacuation operations in areas “exposed to flood risks” were ongoing, following an approach that takes into account the level of danger and the scale of potential damage.

It said preventive measures had led to the evacuation and relocation of a total of 143,164 people by Thursday morning, as part of efforts to protect lives and ensure public safety.

Several parts of northern and northwestern Morocco have been affected by widespread flooding in recent days following heavy rains.