America News Agency

According to a report by China Central Television (CCTV), flooding has affected Syria’s Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa provinces since late May due to the overflow of the Euphrates River.

The floods submerged agricultural lands across the region and destroyed roads and bridges used for transportation. Syria’s interim government issued an emergency evacuation order for residents living along the river after floodwaters continued to rise rapidly and threaten populated areas. Local residents reported that water levels had reached the height of their homes, that finding safe shelter had become difficult, and that urgent assistance was needed.

According to Syrian news sources, the disaster was caused by unusually heavy rainfall in the upper basin regions of the river and large-scale water releases from dams. The flooding expanded the surface area of the Euphrates River from approximately 60.9 square kilometers to 188.7 square kilometers, nearly tripling its normal size.