The biggest flood of the Euphrates in 30 years.. government alert and the collapse of bridges inDeir Ezzor and Raqqa
Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Raed Al-Saleh confirmed on Thursday the establishment of a joint operations room around the clock in cooperation with the governorates of Raqqa and Deir Ezzor and the Ministry of Water Resources, with the aim of following up on the rapid developments related to the flooding of the Euphrates River and taking immediate measures to ensure the safety of citizens along the more than 600-kilometer Syrian stream.
Minister Al-Saleh explained in an official statement on the "X" platform, that the support teams of the Ministry and the Civil Defense have begun to arrive successively from the governorates of Aleppo, Idlib, Hama and Homs, supported by heavy and rented vehicles to raise the readiness of the response in the areas on both banks of the river and to strengthen the berms that are threatened with collapse.
Turkey's Exceptional Inflows Figures
The Director General of the Euphrates Dam Foundation, Haitham Bakour, revealed in a television interview that the river's water level has witnessed a remarkable rise as a result of the heaviest rainy season witnessed in the regions of northern and eastern Syria in about 30 years.
Bakour indicated that the Turkish side passed huge and unprecedented water flows amounting to about 2000 cubic meters per second with the opening of all the overflow gates, which raised the stock of the Syrian dam lakes to more than 97%.
Immediate evacuation and toll of victims
In this context, the Emergency and Disaster Management Committee in Deir Ezzor announced the issuance of immediate evacuation orders for both Hawija Sakr and Hawija Kata', urging the residents to strictly adhere to the instructions to protect lives.
On the human level, Minister Al-Saleh pointed out that no loss of life was recorded directly related to the flooding, pointing out that the deaths are limited to three children who drowned while swimming in the village of Al-Zughayr in the countryside of Deir Ezzor, while the search for a fourth child is still missing.
Measures to fortify Raqqa dams
The Ministry of Emergency reviewed the detailed data of field support operations in Raqqa governorate, where the teams succeeded in reinforcing an earthen berm with a width of 4 meters and a length of 150 meters to prevent the flooding of the feed water pump to the villages of Al-Mazyouna, Al-Khatouniyah, Hawi Al-Hawa, Al-Mahwiya, and Hercules.
The technical staff also worked to raise earthen berms in Hawaj Zahra (700 meters), Al-Anon (150 meters), Al-Badr (150 meters), and Al-Hamada (250 meters), coinciding with the flooding of a number of houses, farms, a school and a mosque in Hawaji Al-Jamasa, Al-Jamaili and Al-Ajil.
Paralysis in the movement of Deir Ezzor bridges
Rescue teams in Deir Ezzor province began emergency reinforcement work using rubble for the damaged part of the Al-Ashara Bridge to ensure the safety of crossing, after the flood caused the bridges of Al-Maraya, the dirt squares and the earthen bridge linking the city of Deir Ezzor and its countryside to be completely out of service.
In parallel with the removal of protective berms around the water stations of Dhiban, Zaghir Shamieh and Harabish neighborhoods, and the removal of parts of the earthen bridge to facilitate the drainage of water and prevent its sudden collapse.
Strict warnings to parents
The Director General of the Euphrates Dam Foundation stressed the need for residents to immediately stay away from the waterway and areas classified within the riverbed where construction and agriculture are legally prohibited.
Bakour warned of the dangers of the sweeping currents flowing during the Eid al-Adha period, while Minister Al-Saleh reiterated that the file of the maintenance of permanent bridges falls outside the jurisdiction of his ministry and falls within the responsibilities of other specialized ministries.