Child dies as a result of floods in Hama and collapse of Al-Sis dam threatens crops

The severe rainstorm and the weather instability that hit Syria on Sunday caused the death of an 11-year-old child who drowned in the torrential rains that swept through the eastern countryside of Hama.

Mutaz al-Ali, director of the emergency centre in Salamiyah , said in a statement that the floods flooded large areas of land and led to the trapping of a number of cars and civilians.

For his part, Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Raed Al-Saleh confirmed that the Civil Defense teams have responded since the early hours of the morning to the reports, as they worked to withdraw the detained vehicles and secure their passengers, calling on citizens to stay away from the flood streams and adhere to official warnings.

Al-Saleh added in a tweet via X: The floods in the eastern countryside of Hama led to the death of a child, and the cutting off of the Athriya-Raqqa road following the collapse of a ferry on the road, in addition to the drift and detention of a number of vehicles, while the teams intervened to help and secure civilians.

The Minister of Emergency reiterated the need to adhere to the warnings and avoid approaching the flood streams in order to maintain safety.

Interruption of international and secondary roads

The heavy rains led to traffic paralysis and the cutting off of vital roads as a result of the collapses and floods, most notably:

 Atharia – Raqqa Road: It was completely cut off after the collapse of a water ferry at the junction of the village of "Al-Tanhaj".

 Al-Sa'an – Sarha – Al-Rahjan road: Traffic was disrupted due to the flow of torrential water.

 Abu Al-Duhur – Hmeimat Al-Dayer Road, where  the Early Warning Department announced its closure due to the rise in the water level, with drivers instructing to use the road (Al-Khushir – Um Green – Baya'at Al-Dansh) as a temporary alternative in the countryside of Hama.

The collapse of the "Al-Siha" dam and the threat to crops

In the southern countryside of Aleppo, the Al-Sayha earthen dam suffered a partial collapse that led to the flow of huge amounts of water towards agricultural lands and nearby valleys.

Emergency teams are intensifying their work to strengthen the "second berm" to reduce the risk after the collapse of the first berm, amid fears that the wheat and vegetable crops on which the region depends could sink.

The Minister of Emergency  said that efforts were concentrated in the Al-Siha area in the southern countryside of Aleppo as a result of the collapse of the first berm, and the teams continue to work in cooperation with water resources, the administration of the area, and the administration of the southern region of Samaan, to strengthen the second berm to reduce risks and protect the area, pointing out that during the past 24 hours, the ministry has issued warnings and early alerts about the weather situation.

Local sources indicated that the dam has been suffering from corrosion in its structure and lack of maintenance for years, which made the collapse expected with the first strong rainstorm.

In a related context, the floods swept through a number of houses in the village of "Al-Ziyadiya" in the countryside of Aleppo, resulting in material damage to civilian property.

 Forecast weather

Meteorologists confirm that the weather instability in the country will continue until Tuesday morning, with heavy thundershowers and hail expected to fall, increasing the likelihood of flash floods in low-lying areas and valleys.