Death toll up to 20 in Syria dam burst

A dam collapse in northern Syria which sent a wall of water through nearby villages has killed at least 20 people.

Zayzoun Dam, built in 1996 to store rainwater, burst near Idlib.

More than 400 residents of Zayzoun village fled when their town was flooded with water. Residents of other areas are believed to have survived by fleeing to higher ground or other villages.

About 60 per cent of nearby Ziara's homes were destroyed.

At least 20 people are confirmed dead, according to the governor's office in Hama, the province in which the villages are located. Agricultural losses also were severe.

Eight-thousand hectares (20,000 acres) of agricultural land was submerged, afflicting losses estimated to be billions of Syrian pounds according to local reports.

Syrian President Bashar Assad ordered $1,000 in immediate aid for each family to lose a relative, Syrian media reported, and, until full assessments are made and appropriate compensation determined, he also granted $200 for each family that sustained flood damage.

The cause of the disaster is still under investigation.