Watch: Hundreds of tourists evacuated after flash floods hit ancient Jordan city of Petra

A flash flood hit Jordan's ancient city of Petra on Monday as rainfall lashed the archaeological site, forcing evacuations of hundreds of tourists. Water from nearby mountains in Jordan gushed into the rose-red city, which dates to around 300 B.C., which has withstood human and natural disasters.

According to media reports, an estimated 1,700 tourists and locals were ordered to evacuate the Unesco World Heritage Site for their safety due to the heavy rains.

Footage shared on social media showed a river of water pouring into the gorge at the entrance of the Petra temple as tourists flee Jordan's 2,000-year-old attraction, situated 150 miles south of Jerusalem. The video showed water gushing down from the mountains like a waterfall, breaking parts of the historic city.

Another video showed the popular gorge known as the Siq in Petra becoming a river of mud water as a flash flood hit the ancient city. Petra authorities had warned citizens to stay away from flood drains and valleys and not to risk leaving their homes on Monday during rainfall due to the rising water level.

Petra Development Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA) said on Tuesday that it is business as usual in Red Rose city after clean-up operations following heavy rainfall that triggered massive floods across the southern region.

PDTRA Chief Commissioner Suleiman Farajat said crews laboured to clean trails for visitors and hikers at the archaeological site and key destination, which was struck by downpours the previous day.

The tourist movement is back to normal as the authority's teams worked to clean up streets, water drains and ferries in the Petra district and rehabilitate the main trail to ensure the safety of tourists and secure a smooth entry to the site, Farajat told Petra news agency.

The total rainfall across the Kingdom amounted to about 1.147 bcm during the past 24 hours, with 741 mcm falling on the Ma'an Governorate, followed by 109 mcm on Amman, 87 mcm on Aqaba, 54 mcm on Mafraq, 44 mcm on Tafilah, and 40 mcm on Karak.

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