Jordan flood toll rises to 20, most are pupils

AMMAN: At least 20 people, most of them pupils, have been killed in flash floods in Jordan, the emergency services said yesterday in an updated toll.

A further 35 people were injured following heavy rains on Thursday, including members of the security forces involved in rescue operations, said an official from the civil defence.

He said rescuers were searching for people missing in the area, a popular tourist attraction 50km west of here.

“Most of the dead were schoolchildren aged 11 to 14 who were taking part in a school trip to the Dead Sea region” when their bus was swept away by floodwaters, he said.

Also among the dead were passers-by who had been picnicking in the area, he said, adding that a nearby bridge had collapsed.

Education Minister Azmi Mahafzah promised a “full inquiry” into the schoolchildren’s deaths.