sudden floods have been hitting southern Jordan for several hours. This Monday, May 5, local authorities announced the death of a tourist and his son. The rescue teams found “the bodies of a woman and her son, both of Belgian nationality […] Ported missing after floods in the Choubak region, about 200 km south of Amman, “according to a statement from the Department of General Security.
Jordanian authorities evacuated nearly 1,800 tourists from the ancient Petra site on Sunday, a local official on state television announced. “The total number of tourists who visited the site today amounts to 1,785, and the majority of them were evacuated by the Civil Defense teams,” he said. The official stressed that the authorities had suspended the sale of tickets in the afternoon for safety.
Intense rains increasingly recurrent
The Jordanian meteorological authority broadcast a video showing sudden floods falling on the ancient site while visitors gathered at the entrance to the Khazneh, one of the most emblematic buildings of the site, pending their evacuation. Similar evacuations have already taken place in the past, the region being more and more prone to intense rains and storms.
Classified as a UNESCO world Heritage Site, Petra is famous for its monumental temples cut in La Roche Rose. It was designated in 2007 as one of the seven new wonders of the world after an online vote.
