Desert flash flooding struck the World Heritage site of Petra, setting off a flood alarm system for the first time since its fitting in 2014. A video shows a fast flowing stream gushing towards the popular attraction, while tourists escape through a narrow canyon with the assistance of guides. Onlookers cheer and clap after all visitors manage to make a muddy escape. Omar Dajani, a meteorologist at the Arabia Weather company, said: “Now towns have spread so much and many of them were not built with respect for the geography of the region.
“Such as valleys for example, where the water has naturally caused floods for millions of years.”
Flash floods have left 11 people dead and led to the evacuation of 4,000 tourists from Petra.
Evacuated tourists were transported to safe areas, confirmed government spokeswoman Jumana Ghunaimat.
In Petra, floodwaters in some areas rose up to 4m (13ft), state TV reported.
It comes after 21 people, mostly children, drowned in a flash flood in Jordan’s Dead Sea area.
Around 40 children and their teachers were on an outing when the floods struck.
The incident caused a public outcry, leading to the resignation of the country’s education and tourism ministers.
An officer at the Civil Defence Department told The Jordan Times: “A major rescue operation entailing scores of people from different state agencies as well as several rescue helicopters and boats, marine divers and swimmers are at the site now to rescue trapped people and search for missing ones.
“The number of those killed in the flash flood is expected to increase because many were reported to have been swept away by the raging water.”
Prime Minister Omar Razza helped with the rescue operation, according to the Jordan Times.
He reportedly instructed state agencies to provide all needed assistance to ensure the safety of the students.
The country was hit with sudden heavy rain, which flooded the hot springs area near the Dead Sea.