Heavy rains hit Jordan on Thursday afternoon, causing floods in several areas which lead to the worst disaster in years. (AP)
Jordan’s Queen Rania al-Abdullah tweeted her condolences to the families of the students who died during a school trip to the Dead Sea and said “our hearts are breaking from the horror of this tragedy.”
At least 20 people, mainly schoolchildren and teachers, were killed on Thursday in a flash flood near Jordan's Dead Sea that happened during a school field trip, rescuers and hospital workers said.
Heavy rains hit Jordan on Thursday afternoon, causing floods in several areas which lead to the worst disaster in years. The Dead Sea, the lowest point on the earth, is surrounded by steep valley slopes that frequently witness flash floods and landslides.
The Jordanian Prime Minister Omar al-Razaz said the school apparently violated instructions from the Ministry of Education banning all trips to the Dead Sea due to bad weather, and vowed to investigate those responsible.
Al-Razzaz also said that divers and search teams would conduct searches inside the Dead Sea during the night.
