The death toll from massive flooding in Syria caused by a collapsed dam in the north of the country has risen to 20.
According to the country’s official press, hundreds of homes were destroyed when the Zeyzoun dam north of Hama sprouted cracks and ruptured yesterday, submerging Zeyzoun under water and mud. It also caused flooding in nearby villages.
Four people have also been reported missing.
Syrian officials initially said there had been few casualties because they had been able to evacuate low-lying areas near the dam, but residents said they fled after the government ignored warnings that the dam had begun to crack.
Representatives of the United Nations and World Health Organisation met yesterday to explore ways of getting aid to the area.
Syria has said it will seek financial and logistical help from international aid agencies to deal with the floods, and has been offered a grant of some 40,000 by the Japanese embassy in Damascus to help pay for relief efforts.
