Middle East

Jordan: Flash flood sweeps away school bus, killing at least 18

Heavy rains also caused roads to flood in Jordan's capital, Amman (AFP/File photo)

More than a dozen children and teachers have been killed in Jordan after flash flooding swept away their bus during a school outing near the Dead Sea on Thursday, the country's emergency services said.

At least 18 people were killed in the incident, which took place near the Zara Maeen hot springs under a heavy rainfall warning, local media reported.

Thirty-four people were rescued, some of whom are in serious condition, after Jordan launched a major rescue operation involving helicopters and army troops to the area, police chief Brigadier General Farid al-Sharaa told state television.

"Heavy rains caused a flash flood close to the Dead Sea that washed away a school bus carrying 37 students and seven minders," an official with Jordan's fire service told AFP.

An official with Jordan's civil defence department told the Jordan Times newspaper the death toll is expected to rise.

“The number of those killed in the flash flood is expected to increase because many were reported to have been swept away by the raging water,” the official said.

Hundreds of families and relatives converged on Shounah hospital, a few kilometers from the resort area, Reuters reported. Relatives sobbed and searched for missing children, a witness told the news agency.

The heavy rains also caused roads to flood in the Jordanian capital, Amman, while large hail stones fell in Ajloun, in the north of the country.

READ MORE ►

Qatar drenched by floods as almost a year's rain falls in one day

Several other countries in the region have also experienced severe weather this month.

Lebanon saw strong winds and hail on Thursday, which caused damage to parked cars, shop windows and electricity lines.

The Beirut municipality cautioned residents to take the necessary precautions, saying heavy rains and flooding could block streets and damage properties in the capital, The Daily Star newspaper reported.

Earlier this week, roads were closed amid heavy flooding in Doha, the capital of Qatar, after nearly a year's worth of rain fell on parts of the country in a single day.

Air traffic was disrupted, homes were flooded, and universities and shops were closed as a result of the heavy rain.

Last week, flash flooding also killed five people across Tunisia, including a six-year-old child who drowned in Sidi Bouzid. The deaths came less than a month after torrential rains killed five others in the countrys northeastern region of Cap Bon.

Original Article

[contf]
[contfnew]

middle east eye

[contfnewc]
[contfnewc]

Related Articles

Middle East

Israel PM ‘flew to Saudi Arabia for secret talks with crown prince’

bbc– Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly flew to Saudi Arabia on...

Middle East

Lebanon’s unfinished revolution: One year after protests, change has yet to come

Issued on: 21/10/2020 – 12:18Modified: 21/10/2020 – 14:28 It's been one year...

Middle East

Israel lauds UAE delegation visit as ‘making history’, Palestinians deem it ‘shameful’

Issued on: 20/10/2020 – 14:27 In an historic first visit by a...

Middle East

Iran rules out weapons ‘buying spree’ as UN embargo is set to expire

Issued on: 18/10/2020 – 07:42 Iran said it was self-reliant in its...