Tourists evacuated from Petra following flash floods
Flash floods caused by heavy rain across Jordan have killed eleven people and forced hundreds of tourists to seek higher ground in the kingdom’s ancient city of Petra, as per the government spokesperson.
About two dozen people were injured and dozens more evacuated from their homes in several locations in the kingdom, as floodwaters rose rapidly.
In Petra, floodwaters in some areas rose up to 4 meter as reported by the state TV.
Amateur video posted on social media showed a powerful torrent rushing through a steep, narrow canyon in Petra, as several hundred visitors crowded on a patch of higher ground near the Treasury, the ancient city’s main attraction.
Jordan has suffered weeks of downpours and flooding. Earlier this month, a flash flood in the Dead Sea area killed 21 people, mostly children on a school trip, causing a public commotion which lead to the resignation of the country’s education and tourism ministers.