Most of the victims are believed to be swept away by the flash floods, residents said.

Residents in Baki town of Awdal region say they recorded four deaths, three of them swept away by floods while the fourth person died after a house collapsed.

Mohamed Aw Ahmed Ateye is the head of the district council in Baki town. "There is a huge loss of lives and destruction of properties,” he told VOA Somali.

Ateye reported the collapse of 41 homes in the town, while another 30 homes were destroyed in Harirad town. He also said 140 farms were destroyed.

"The floods destroyed the crop, farm equipment and bridges were swept away after 17 hours of rains,” he said.

In Mogadishu, officials confirmed the death of at least six people and more than 300 homes are underwater in the capital.

According to United Nations, heavy rains continue to fall across Somalia and the Ethiopian highlands. It says 772,500 people have been affected by flooding in Somalia with more than 229,000 displaced.

Hashim Omar Goth contributed to this report from Awdal