In brief
Heavy rains triggered flash floods on Friday that left seven dead—five children and two adults—and another seven injured in eastern Syria. Rescue teams are still searching for four missing persons amid widespread damage to infrastructure and homes in Raqqa, Deir al‑Zor, Hasakah and parts of Aleppo.
A flash flood triggered by heavy rains on Friday, Oct. 31, killed seven people in eastern Syria, including five children, and injured seven others, state news agency SANA reported.
The fatalities came from two separate incidents: five children drowned in standing water and a fourth individual died in a traffic accident.
In addition to the deaths, seven people sustained injuries ranging from minor cuts to serious trauma.
Four people remain missing as rescue teams scour the affected areas.
Emergency and Disaster Management Minister Raed al‑Saleh said rescue teams are still searching the flooded zones.
The five children drowned in pools of water formed by the floods, while another person died in a traffic accident,
Al‑Saleh also highlighted the broader impact: he said flooding has damaged infrastructure, cut off roads and forced families to leave homes.
The main provinces hit are Raqqa, Deir al‑Zor and Hasakah, with parts of Aleppo also experiencing damage.
Since the storms began on Tuesday, civil defence teams have carried out more than 550 emergency operations, rescuing 60 people and responding to over 900 distress calls, the minister noted.
Among other efforts, teams evacuated more than 350 students from two schools, helped 375 families leave camps in Raqqa and pumped water from around 250 homes and public buildings.
Meteorologists warn that unstable weather with heavy rain and thunderstorms continues, increasing the risk of further flooding.
