DEAD SEA, Jordan — Flash floods unleashed by heavy rains swept away a group of middle school students and teachers visiting hot springs near the Dead Sea on Thursday, killing 18 and injuring 35 as the torrent carried some for several kilometers, a civil defense official said. “It swept away the students for four to five kilometers,” some as far as the Dead Sea, he said. The low-lying Dead Sea area, part of the Jordan Valley, is prone to flash flooding when rain water rushes down from adjacent hills. In April, 10 Israeli students were killed when they were surprised by a flash flood during a hiking trip near the Dead Sea. In Jordan, Prime Minister Omar Razzaz rushed to the scene on Thursday afternoon and later visited the wounded in a local hospital.

Source: Washington Post October 25, 2018 16:58 UTC