Gov’t procedures seek to avert flood threats across Kingdom

AMMAN — The government on Thursday revealed a series of precautionary procedures it implemented based on joint reports and recommendations by the neutral and ministerial committees examining the Dead Sea Tragedy in October 2018. 

The government had pledged to implement a series of procedures to address mistakes made during the tragedy and to avoid similar incidents in the future, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

On October 25, 2018, flash floods near the Dead Sea claimed the lives of 21 people, most of them schoolchildren on a field trip, along with families picnicking in the hot springs nearby.

A total of 46 students and teachers from a private school in Amman were swept away in the floods.

Thirty-five people were rescued, but it was unclear at the time how many were still missing, since a number of people were in the direct vicinity of the flood. 

The government procedures were categorised by institution, Petra reported.

The Education Ministry issued new regulations for organising field trips, stipulating a specific timeline during the school year — from March 21 to May 15 — during which school trips are allowed.

On the tourism level, the 2019 regulations for adventure tourism were endorsed, banning tourism agencies from organising adventure tourism trips for schools.

Civil defence departments in areas subject to flash floods, notably Aqaba and the Dead Sea, were provided with early warning systems.

Meteorological stations were updated and equipped with modern devices that guarantee more accurate information and weather forecasts, while the government implemented rehabilitation works for bridges and main roads in the Dead Sea area.

Ninety to 95 per cent of scheduled maintenance has been completed in the Dead Sea area so far, according to Petra.

Government procedures also urged municipalities and electric power companies to implement periodic maintenance before winter to ensure that infrastructure, such as tunnels, sewage networks and electric lines, are working properly, to avoid disruptions that might hinder daily life nationwide.  

Other procedures included ensuring coordination among stakeholders in the field of crisis management and documenting water levels in low-lying areas that are more vulnerable to flash foods, in addition to training Health Ministry personnel to make accurate diagnoses and provide precise descriptions for injuries.