Five children among seven dead in Syria floods

A devastating flash flood struck eastern Syria on Friday, leaving seven dead and seven others injured, authorities reported. Among the deceased were five young children who perished in pools of water generated by the flooding. One additional person lost their life in a traffic accident, while four individuals remain missing, according to Raed al-Saleh, the emergency and disaster management minister.

The destructive rains affected the provinces of Raqqa, Deir al-Zor, Hasakah, and Aleppo, causing significant damage to infrastructure and cutting off roads. As a result, families were compelled to evacuate their homes. Syrian civil defense teams responded to over 550 emergency situations since the storms commenced, saving 60 individuals trapped in floodwaters and addressing more than 900 distress calls.

Moreover, more than 350 students were rescued from two schools, and 375 families were assisted in leaving camps in Raqqa province. Rescue efforts also targeted flooded rural areas in Aleppo and Idlib, pumping water from approximately 250 homes and public buildings. In Deir al-Zor, the flooding caused roads and telecommunications infrastructure to collapse, disrupting transport and communication networks.

Schools were suspended in Raqqa, Hasakah, and Deir al-Zor on Thursday, and forecasters cautioned that unsettled weather might persist into Saturday.