A dam collapsed in central Syria today, causing heavy casualties and widespread damage, the state-run SANA news agency said.
"Cracks appeared in the Zeyzoun dam...leading to a rush of water, then the collapse of the dam, causing massive damage to a number of villages and their residents," it said.
There was no immediate indication of how many people had been affected by the collapse of the dam, which was located north of the city of Hama.
Local governor Mohammed Said Akeel said waters damaged several homes in four neighbouring villages and flooded farmlands.
"Residents have been evacuated to higher ground," he said.
Cracks appeared in the Zeyzoun dam before it collapsed, said the official news agency SANA.
The dam is the fourth largest in Syria with a capacity of 70 million cubic metres (2.472 billion cubic feet), and was built in 1995.
AFP