Syria flash floods kill five, authorities say

Flash floods and heavy rains in northern and eastern Syria killed five people, including four children, authorities said Thursday.

The ministry of emergency and disaster management said four children drowned in the governorates of Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor. Another man died in an accident at a bridge in Raqqa.

The ministry said five more people were missing in storms that have been drenching the country since Wednesday.

State news agency SANA said heavy downpours and flooding caused a bridge to collapse in Raqqa, closing a road linking the region to neighbouring Aleppo.

Local authorities and official media reported heavy rainfall and strong winds across northern and eastern Syria, with homes inundated, residents displaced and roads closed.