Five dead in Syria as flash floods trap residents and crews search for survivors
The floods killed four children and one adult in Raqqa and Deir el-Zour, prompting evacuations from displacement camps while the UK reported a tanker fire in the Strait of Hormuz.
By Alexander Novak ·
Civil defense teams in eastern Syria are searching for missing residents on Friday after flash floods swept through several rural areas. The Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management reported that at least five people lost their lives in the deluges. Four of the victims were children. The other was an adult.
The flooding hit rural districts in Raqqa and Deir el-Zour provinces. State-run SANA news agency reported that rescue crews pulled dozens of people from rising waters and vehicles where they had become stranded. Officials evacuated hundreds of families from camps for internally displaced persons in northern Syria to higher ground.
In the Strait of Hormuz, a tanker caught fire after a small boat attached two explosives to its hull. The British military announced the incident on Friday. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations stated that the explosives were placed above the waterline. The blasts, which occurred on Thursday, ignited a fire in the engine room and temporarily disabled the vessel.
The UKMTO did not identify the ship, which was sailing approximately 46 kilometers northeast of Khasab, Oman. The organization confirmed that the crew was safe and that the fire caused no environmental impact. No group claimed responsibility for the attack on the vessel.
The explosion adds to a wave of maritime incidents in the region. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard announced on Thursday that three oil tankers had struck mines while trying to leave the strait via an unauthorized route. The UKMTO noted in an earlier report that October is already the busiest month for reported attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz since March.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia said it intercepted a drone launched by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels near Mecca. Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, a spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition, confirmed the drone was destroyed in the region surrounding the holy city. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree denied the group targeted Mecca, stating their operations aim at Saudi oil facilities and military bases instead.
This is the latest development in a series of regional conflicts affecting both land and sea routes.
Source: Daily Breeze
