Death toll rises to 11 in flashfloods

AMMAN- At least 11 people were killed and dozens were injured on Friday after floods ripped several areas of the Kingdom, the government said Friday.

Those killed in the floods include two women and a girl who died in severe floods in Dabaa area in Al Jiza district, Minister of State for Media Affairs Jumana Ghunaimat said in a statement obtained by The Jordan Times Friday.

One of the killed is a 7-year old girl who died in Madaba. Another is a rescue team member on duty in Dabaa, around 50km south of Amman.

Thousands of persons were rescued from various disaster areas, including hundreds of tourists in Petra, she said. The flash floods resulted in the closure of the Desert Highway, which was re-opened later in the evening.

Authorities said Friday search was ongoing for several missing persons in Madaba governorate.

The Greater Amman Municipality announced the state of emergency to deal with weather-related emergencies. Schools and universities across the Kingdom announced Saturday off due to the prevailing harsh weather.

The Ministry of Water and Irrigation warned residents of areas adjacent to the Waleh Dam in area to take necessary precautions and keep away from the valleys in the area. Thousands were evacuated from such places in several governorates to schools buildings in safer locations. 

The ministry said the dam, located in Madaba Governorate, was expected to reach its full storage capacity of 9.3 million cubic metres in a few hours.

Severe floods on Friday hit Maan governorate, Wadi Mousa area, Petra, Madaba and other areas in Jordan following heavy rainfall across the Kingdom.