Today, Saturday, torrential torrents swept into residential areas north of Erbil Governorate in the Kurdistan region of Iraq due to heavy rains since yesterday morning, Saturday, causing the loss of a child, drowning a number of houses and disrupting traffic, while the local authorities decided to suspend work today, Sunday.
Eyewitnesses said that the torrential rains coming from the Salah al-Din resort in the north of Erbil governorate, after heavy rains fell, caused the houses to be swamped along their path to the Kouri residential complex in Erbil.
Iraqis circulated videos on social media showing the flooding of streets and homes in several areas in Erbil, while horrific scenes of large quantities of water sweeping the streets of the province and swallowing cars on their way.
Rooftops are the only destination for citizens to flee due to torrential rains # Erbil # Erbil pic.twitter.com/M2cpb2yFl8
— Green Iraq (@yalla_nezr3) October 30, 2021
Witnesses added that traffic stopped in areas north of Erbil Governorate, noting that at least one child was missing after being severely swept away by torrential rains on the Salah al-Din resort, and no one was able to save him.
Another video
heavy rains cause flash flood in the Erbil Kurdistan region of Iraq.#heavyrain #Iraq #Erbil #Floods #baran #pêlavêtinî#Hewlêr #Kurdistan #grain#flood#Erbil#Kurdistan#Iraq pic.twitter.com/08fpp3m2bM
— Journalist Siraj Noorani (@sirajnoorani) October 31, 2021
For its part, the Directorate of Meteorology and Seismic Monitoring in the region announced - in a statement - that the cities and towns of the region witnessed thunderstorms during the past 24 hours, noting that the Sulaymaniyah Governorate recorded the highest rate of 11.5 mm.
While the governorate of Dohuk recorded the lowest rate of drops.
Cold torrents (Al Haloub) in #Erbil,
northern Iraq, today, Saturday.
pic.twitter.com/rHn0ymi3lf
- Sadiq Attieh, weather forecaster (@sadeqatyia) October 30, 2021