At least 14 schoolchildren and teachers on an outing died in a flash flood near Jordan's Dead Sea on Thursday, rescuers and hospital workers said.
A witness said a bus with the children and teachers was on a trip to a resort area when floodwaters swept them into a valley. Thirty-four people were rescued in an operation involving helicopters and army troops, police chief Brig. Gen. Farid al Sharaa told state television. Some of those rescued were in serious condition.
Hundreds of families and relatives converged on Shounah hospital a few kilometers from the resort area. Relatives sobbed and searched for missing children, a witness said.
Israel sent search-and-rescue helicopters to assist, an Israeli military statement said, adding that the team dispatched at Amman's request was operating on the Jordanian side of the Dead Sea.
Civil defense spokesman Capt. Iyad al Omar told Reuters the number of casualties was expected to rise.
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