Wall collapses on Tafileh family, mother, son dead

AMMAN — A woman and her son died during the snowstorm after a supporting wall collapsed on them in Tafileh Governorate, 180km southwest of the capital, official sources said.

The incident, which occurred in the Wadi Zeid area in Tafileh on Saturday, brought the number of people who died in accidents during the weekend blizzard to six.

The 48-year-old woman and her two sons were checking on their sheep during the snowstorm when a 20-by-10-metre supporting wall adjacent to the main road next to their house fell on them, a senior official source said.

The woman and her two sons remained trapped under the rubble for over 12 hours, while Civil Defence Department (CDD) personnel and other rescue teams were attempting to reach them, the source told The Jordan Times.

“Rescue teams were battling tough weather condition, rough terrain and a power failure and had to dig tunnels to reach the trapped family, but when they finally managed to reach them the mother and her 26-year-old son were dead,” the source added.

The second son, aged 16, was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment and is listed in fair condition, according to a CDD source.

Specialised equipment was used and dozens of CDD personnel took part in the rescue operation, the CDD official told The Jordan Times.

According to a second source, a neighbour was taking photos in the snow when he saw the wall collapse and called for help.

The supporting wall was installed to prevent soil erosion from the main road next to the family’s house, the second source explained.

“It seems that the wall could not hold up under the heavy snow that accumulated in Tafileh, so it collapsed,” he told The Jordan Times.

Snow accumulation in Tafileh during the snowstorm reached around 1.5 metres, according to residents and municipal officials.