Flash floods kill five in Syria
Four children drowned while a man died after his car was caught in floodwaters.
Key points
- At least five people, including four children, died in flash floods across northern and eastern Syria after heavy rains.
- A man died near al-Salmani Bridge in western Raqqa countryside, and five others, including two children, are still missing.
- The ministry evacuated about 375 families from three camps on the rural outskirts of Raqqa and rescued 15 civilians trapped in vehicles.
Heavy rains across several Syrian provinces have caused flash flooding that killed at least five people, including four children, in northern and eastern regions. The Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management said in a statement on Thursday that the four children drowned in bodies of water in Raqqa and Deir Az Zor governorates.
A man also died when his car was caught in floodwaters near al-Salmani Bridge in the western Raqqa countryside. Five others, including two children, remain missing. Thursday was the second day the ministry recorded flood responses nationwide, and it continues to post situation updates on its X account.
Damage to bridges and roads
The ministry reported infrastructure damage and disruptions to several bridges in Aleppo, Raqqa, Deir Az Zor, Hasakah and Homs. State news agency SANA said al-Salmani Bridge, west of Tabqa, collapsed in the flooding, shutting the road linking Raqqa to Aleppo.
Emergency teams rescued 15 civilians whose vehicles were trapped by floodwaters. The ministry said it evacuated approximately 375 families from three camps on the rural outskirts of Raqqa.
The four children all drowned in bodies of water across Raqqa and Deir Az Zor governorates
— Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management
Earlier flooding this year
The country has faced heavy rains and flooding before. UNICEF reported in June that 17,000 people had been affected by flooding so far in the year, with 700 families displaced, including around 2,000 children.
At the time, the UN agency also said 49 water treatment plants in Deir Az Zor and Raqqa governorates had gone out of service.
