In eastern Syria, a flood collapsed a bridge on the highway to the Iraqi border, one person killed

Bridge collapse and a fatality

On Saturday, in the eastern Syrian province of Deir ez-Zor, a sudden flood caused the collapse of the Al-Suwayiya bridge east of Al-Bukamal, killing at least one person. The bridge stood on the route connecting the city with the Iraqi border, and after the collapse residents cannot cross from one bank to the other, Anadolu reports.

Consequences for the city

Head of civil defense in Al-Bukamal Hisham Matar told the outlet that floodwaters inundated many homes and roads, and damage to the power grid caused electricity outages. Rescue teams, he said, are working continuously, assessing the damage and monitoring the water level.

The victim and accusations against the authorities

Mohammed Bdewi said his brother Hussein was crossing the bridge at the moment of the collapse — he was returning after taking his sister to her village. Bdewi stated that negligence led to the tragedy and called on the authorities to build a permanent replacement instead of temporary repairs.

Flooding in other provinces

Heavy rains in recent days caused flooding in several Syrian provinces, including Deir ez-Zor, Latakia and Aleppo. In the Bayirbujak area of Latakia, the flood collapsed another bridge that linked villages on the banks of the Nahr al-Kabir al-Shamali; provincial authorities reported the start of restoration work. Flooding also affected farmland and residential areas of Afrin north of Aleppo.

Past fatalities

According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, cited by Anadolu, heavy rains at the end of October killed seven civilians, including five children, in rural areas of Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor and Aleppo.