Rains have hit the Kurdish autonomous region after one of the driest years in decades and officials have warned that heavy rains could return
The number of people who died as an outcome of cascades of floods in Iraqi Kurdistan has risen to 12, the Rudaw broadcaster reported. The flooding was caused by heavy rains overnight that had pummeled the capital of the region, Erbil, in the north of the country.
The incident caused widespread damage to houses and vehicles. Further afield, the rains caused a bridge to collapse in the region of Nineveh.
Heavy torrential rains have been pouring in Erbil since Thursday leading to floods, which caused severe material damage, deaths, and injuries. Iraqi media Shafaq News reported that Erbil Governorate has declared a state of alert and urged civilians to cooperate with the rescue teams.
Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq Masrour Barzani expressed sorrow over the loss of lives and damage caused by the floods, stressing that he has “instructed all government agencies to provide immediate support and relief to areas affected.”