WATCH: Torrential rains, floods displace thousands of Iraqis, kill several

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Casualties are being reported as torrential rains and floods sweep across the central and southern provinces of Iraq, with thousands of people being displaced from their homes.

In the southern province of Wasit alone on Saturday, at least six people died, prompting local authorities to declare a state of emergency.

Heavy winds uprooted trees and a number of electricity poles. Heavy rain and flooding have caused power outages in many southern cities of Iraq.

Over the past two days, the country has been hit by torrential rains, killing at least ten people, injuring more than 20 others and destroying many homes.

Heavy rain and flood in the town of Shirqat in Salahuddin province have forced 3,000 families to flee, local authorities stated.

More than 1,000 homes were damaged in at least two villages in the north of Shirqat, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement on Saturday. Eight people are still missing, it added.

On Sunday, the Barzani Charity Foundation (BCF), based in Erbil, told Kurdistan 24 that it had begun running convoys of aid to those affected by the floods and rain in Shirqat.

Local authorities in the flooded areas struggle with search and rescue efforts and aiding those affected because of damaged infrastructure and lack of resources.

In an effort to reduce the number of human casualties, authorities in Diwaniyah and Diyala have declared it a holiday for students attending schools in the area until the rain stops, sources told Kurdistan 24.

In the southern province of Dhi Qar, intense rainstorms hit the town of Nasr in northern Nasiriyah, resulting in the injury of seven security members, police reported.

The security members were wounded after the roof of a checkpoint at the entrance of the town collapsed on Saturday night, causing damage to the vehicles parked in the area and the officers stationed there, the police added.

The Iraqi Health Ministry said it had mobilized all efforts to help with the rescue and relocation of people whose areas have been affected by the heavy rains and floods.

Editing by Nadia Riva