The Jordanian authorities evacuated, this Sunday, May 4, almost 1,800 tourists from the old Petra site, in the south of the country, after sudden floods hit the region, a local official announced on state television.
“The rescue teams of the Regional Authority of Petra and Civil Defense have evacuated hundreds of tourists in Petra, without any victim being reported, after the floods affected the archaeological site this afternoon,” said this official Yazan Mohadin.
The official emphasized that the authorities had suspended the sale of tickets in the afternoon for security.
1,785 people are safe
The Jordanian weather authority transmitted a video that shows sudden floods that fall on the old site while visitors gathered at the entrance of Khazneh, one of Petra’s most emblematic buildings, waiting for its evacuation.
“The total number of tourists who visited the site today amounts to 1,785, and most of them were evacuated by civil defense teams,” said Yazan Mohadin.
Similar evacuations have already taken place in the past, the region is increasingly prone to heavy rains and storms.
Classified as a Unesco World Heritage site, Petra is famous for its monumental temples cut in La Roche Rose. He was designated in 2007 as one of the seven new wonders of the world after an online vote.
Source: BFM TV
