BEIRUT/DAMASCUS (Sputnik) – At least seven people had been killed in mudslides caused by heavy rain in Jordan, the office of the country’s prime minister said.
“The Jordanian government spokeswoman, Jumana Ghunaimat, said the number of those killed rose to seven people. Ghunaimat also called on people living in settlements located in hollows to evacuate from their houses for the sake of safety,” the press service of the office of Jordanian Prime Minister Omar Razzaz wrote on Facebook on Friday.
The floods have affected Jodan’s western province of Madaba and southeastern province of Maan. The Ammon news agency has reported that the self-defense forces’ diver died in Madaba due to the natural disaster.
In Maan, a child was injured as a result of the flooding, according to the Jo24 broadcaster.
The Middle Eastern country’s Tourism and Antiques Ministry said that all guided tours, scheduled for Saturday, had been canceled due to bad weather conditions. Moreover, several roads leading to the Dead Sea will be blocked off on Saturday. The Education Ministry, in its turn, has canceled classes in all schools and higher educational institutions.
Meanwhile, All the visitors of the Petra Archaeological Park (PAP) in southern Jordan have been evacuated and the site has been closed amid heavy rains and flooding in the area on Friday, Soleyman Frayjat, the head of the tourism development council of the park, told the local Petra news agency.
The park visitors had been transported to their hotels due to the risk of mudslides, the official added. The park administration stopped selling tickets and closed the park at noon (10:00 GMT), he noted. According to local media reports, 3,700 people have been evacuated from the area.
In a statement shared with Sputnik, the Jordanian government spokeswoman, Jumana Ghunaimat, confirmed that all the Petra site visitors had been evacuated and said that the authorities used drones, patrol boats and other equipment in operations to rescue people trapped by the floods across the country.
The ruins of Petra, the ancient city situated between the Dead Sea and the Red Sea, are a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the most famous archaeological sites and tourist destinations in Jordan and across the world.
In late October, flash floods killed at least 18 people as a school bus carrying over 30 people had been swept away in the Dead Sea area.
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Sourse: sputniknews.com
