Torrential downpours have triggered catastrophic flooding across several Syrian provinces, resulting in at least five fatalities, including four children, in the country's northern and eastern regions. According to an official statement released by the Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management, the four children tragically drowned in various bodies of water scattered throughout the Raqqa and Deir Az Zor governorates. Authorities also confirmed the death of a man whose vehicle was overwhelmed by raging floodwaters near the al-Salmani Bridge in the western rural countryside of Raqqa.

Rescue and search operations remain heavily constrained as five additional individuals, among them two children, are still reported missing amid the ongoing deluge. Thursday marked the second consecutive day that the ministry recorded widespread emergency responses nationwide, continuously updating the public regarding the worsening crisis through its official social media channels.

The relentless storms have inflicted severe damage on local infrastructure, causing critical disruptions and structural failures to numerous bridges across Aleppo, Raqqa, Deir Az Zor, Hasakah, and Homs. State-run news agency SANA reported that the al-Salmani Bridge, situated west of Tabqa, completely collapsed under the pressure of the floods, effectively shutting down the vital arterial road connecting Raqqa to Aleppo.

Emergency teams have been deployed extensively, reportedly rescuing 15 civilians whose vehicles became trapped in rising waters. Furthermore, the ministry stated that approximately 375 families were successfully evacuated from three makeshift camps located on the rural outskirts of Raqqa as conditions deteriorated further.

This calamity underscores the persistent vulnerability of the region to extreme weather events. Earlier in June, UNICEF reported that roughly 17,000 people had already been adversely affected by flooding this year alone, with hundreds displaced and dozens of essential water treatment plants in Deir Az Zor and Raqqa knocked out of service.

Source: www.aljazeera.com