1 killed as flash floods bring down bridge in eastern Syria

At least one person was killed on Saturday when flash floods caused a bridge to collapse in eastern Syria’s Deir ez-Zor province, cutting off a vital road link and leaving residential neighborhoods isolated. The Al-Suwayiyah bridge, east of Al-Bukamal, lies on a route connecting the city to the Iraqi border. The collapse left residents unable to cross between the two sides. Hisham Matar, head of civil defense in Al-Bukamal, told Anadolu that floodwaters submerged numerous homes and roads, while damage to the electricity network caused power outages.

He said rescue crews were working continuously, assessing damage and monitoring water levels. Mohammed Bdewi said his brother, Hussein, was crossing the bridge when it collapsed. He was returning after taking his sister to her village. Bdewi said neglect contributed to the tragedy and urged authorities to build a permanent replacement instead of relying on temporary repairs. Heavy rain has caused flooding in several Syrian provinces in recent days, including Deir ez-Zor, Latakia and Aleppo.

In the Bayirbucak area of Latakia, floodwaters brought down another bridge linking villages on opposite banks of the Al-Kabir al-Shamali River. Provincial authorities said repair work had begun. Flooding also swept through farmland and residential areas in Afrin, north of Aleppo. Heavy rain in late October killed seven civilians, including five children, in rural areas of Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor and Aleppo, according to the Emergency and Disaster Management Ministry.