Two die as Syrian dam collapses

A dam has collapsed in northern Syria, causing the water to flood several villages and killing at least two people as most residents aided by helicopters fled to high ground.

The Zeyzoun Dam, built in 1996, burst near the town of Idlib, about 220 miles north of Damascus.

In the nearby village of Ziara, about 1.2 miles from the dam on the Orontes River, residents described a sudden deluge of water flooding homes and farmland yesterday.

‘‘When the water started coming, I took my children and wife and ran into the mountains,’’ said Yasser Ibrahim, 33, a farmer.

Ibrahim said an elderly woman from the village was killed in the flooding, and another woman died of injuries in a local hospital. ‘‘The water took them,’’ he said.

The official Syrian news agency said local authorities were taking measures to protect the villagers in the area.

The ministry of irrigation set up an emergency committee to co-ordinate rescue efforts and determine the causes behind the collapse, the agency reported.

At least two helicopters evacuated people to safety, residents said.

Ali Abdullah, owner of a petrol station about 31 miles from the dam, said that people stopping at the station told him that two other villages, Zeyzoun and Qastoun, were inundated.

As the night fell, men from Ziara returned to the village to inspect the damage. Ibrahim said he left his family behind on high ground until it was safe to return.

Hours after the dam burst, the level of water in the village dropped from about 13.2 feet to about four inches.

Residents looking for a dry patch of land to spend the night said most of the water from the dam was quickly absorbed by the swollen river.

The dam was built to collect rain water.