A Belgian mother and her son were found dead in Jordan on Monday morning following a flash flood. The mother and her three children were reported missing on Sunday. The two other children were found alive on Sunday evening. On Sunday, the flash flooding also led to the evacuation of hundreds of visitors from the Petra archaeological site and ancient city, the country’s main tourist attraction and one of the world’s seven wonders.
According to local official Yazan Mohadin, who spoke to the news outlet Al-Mamlaka, about 1,785 tourists were visiting Petra on Sunday. The Belgian family were part of a group of 18 tourists on an adventure trip in Wadi al-Nakhil when the flash flood struck.
The search was halted at 2am due to the dangerous weather conditions and was then resumed on Monday. Fourteen other tourists, all of them Czech nationals, were rescued on Sunday.
The Belgian foreign affairs ministry said on Monday: “We are aware of this case and regret the death of our two fellow citizens. We are following up this case closely together with our Embassy in Amman.
“As this concerns individual cases, we cannot provide any further information.”
Wadi Al-Nakhil is about 40 minutes from Petra by car and is a popular destination for hiking, canyoning, and adventure tourism.
In 2021, at least three people lost their lives when their car was swept away by floodwaters.
Other flash floods back in 2018 also claimed over 30 lives near Petra and along the Dead Sea coast.
Jordan faces a high risk of flash flooding, as heavy seasonal rains channel water through its usually dry desert valleys.
