12 dead after flash floods sweep through Jordan
People at the ancient ruins of Petra, Jordan were forced to evacuate after deadly flash floods swept through the area. Seven people died from the flooding.
Just weeks after 21 people died in flash floods near the Dead Sea, another deadly flooding event occurred in Jordan on Friday.
At least 12 people were killed after heavy rainfall triggered flash flooding in several areas of the country, including in the Madaba region and the ancient city of Petra, according to the Associated Press (AP). Two children and a diver assisting in rescue efforts are among the dead.
In Petra, more than 3,700 tourists were forced to evacuate to higher ground as the floodwaters rushed in, according to Aljazeera.
Water rushed through a dry, narrow canyon which leads to Petra's main attraction, the Treasury. The site will remain closed to visitors until Sunday.
In this Feb. 13, 2017 photo, tourists brave a rare rainstorm in plastic ponchos to peer at the Treasury, Jordan's most famous archaeological monument leftover from the Nabatean civilization in the kingdom's Petra archaeological park. (AP Photo/Sam McNeil)
Crews continue to search for the missing, but there is no confirmed number on how many people are unaccounted for.
In Aqaba, a port city along the Red Sea, a state of emergency was declared as the rain poured down, according to Aljazeera.
Government spokeswoman Jumana Ghneimat said that high water led to the closure of a highway south of the capital of Amman.
Schools across the country were closed on Saturday.
A shelter has been opened in the town of Maan for people affected by the flooding, according to the AP.
The storm system that triggered the flooding downpours has departed the region, leading to drier weather for continued cleanup and rescue operations into early week.
However, a new storm may take shape by the middle of next week, bringing a renewed risk of rainfall and flooding.
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