Horror as mum and son found dead after flash flooding at Petra tourist hotspot

A mother and son have been found dead after flash flooding tore through the at the weekend. The Belgian woman and her three children, two of whom were found alive, were initially reported missing on Monday. The lead to the evacuation of the Petra archaeological site on Sunday, with hundreds forced to flee the country's leading tourist attraction.

The family had been visiting the site with another 14 tourists on an adventure trip in Wadi al-Nakhil when they were caught up in the flash flood, Ma’an district local governor Hassan al-Jabour told state media broadcaster Al-Mamlaka TV. Fourteen tourists, all Czechs, were rescued on Sunday. Rescue crews located two of the children alive late Sunday, al-Jabour said.

The search and rescue operation was suspended at about 2 a.m. because of the complicated conditions and terrain. The bodies of the woman and her son were found Monday morning after the search resumed, he said.

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Further details about the family and the ages of the children weren’t immediately available.

Jordan often experiences flash flooding as heavy seasonal rains send torrents of water through dry desert valleys.

At least three people died in 2021 when floodwaters swept away their car, while more than 30 people were killed in flash flooding that hit Petra and Jordan’s Dead Sea coast in two separate floods in 2018.

Regarding the 2018 incident, tourists described "extraordinary" scenes of panic as the "fast and heavy" flash lead to the evacuation of thousands.

Witnesses said there was a "thunderous roar" before 'raging water started gushing down' and covered people head to toe in mud.

Holidaymakers said there was screaming, yelling, people running to escape - claiming there was no plan in place. Elderly people and families with young children who couldn't get out quickly enough became "caught", witnesses claimed.

Locals galloping on horses warned visitors to the popular tourist spot to turn back.

One wife was left in tears, worried about her husband who was deep in the ruins, thinking he'd been caught in the - and she was one of many worried about loved ones in the zone.

Back in 2021, a tourist was killed in a freak accident at the same historical site when a rock fell on his head. The 32-year-old Italian citizen, who was with three other tourists, died at the scene.

Investigators believed that heavy rainfall had caused the accident after dislodging the rock from its foundation, the Petra Development Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA) reported at the time.

Pictures from the scene showed a large crowd gathered around the patient, but medics were unable to save his life.