Dead Sea Flash Flood Leaves at Least 18 Dead, Most Children

At least 18 people were killed by a flash flood near the Dead Sea in Jordan, Reuters reports. Many of the dead were reportedly schoolchildren under the age of 14 who were by the lake for a school outing. Police chief Brigadier General Farid al Sharaa reportedly told state television 34 people were rescued in a “major operation involving police helicopters and hundreds of army troops,” and some who were rescued were in “serious condition.” A father of one of the survivors told reporters that 37 schoolchildren and seven teachers were on the trip and were “caught in a narrow stream” when the flash flood hit. “The children tried to escape the floods by going to the bus but its doors were closed,” he told reporters. Prime Minister Omar Razzaz announced divers and search teams would be searching the lake on Thursday evening and said the school had broken “regulations by the ministry of education that forbade trips to the Dead Sea due to bad weather.” Razzaz also promised to conduct a probe to hold those responsible accountable.