ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The recent deluge of rain has damaged roads and bridges in Erbil province’s Soran, including the tourism spot Gali Ali Bag.
A 20-kilometre stretch of the road between Erbil and Soran of the road is flooded and bridges have been damaged.
“The damage is a lot. Most of the bridges are damaged. Lots of rocks and mud have fallen onto the road, closing it,” Osman Mamad Rash, director of Soran’s police, told Rudaw, calling on drivers to use an alternative route.
The popular tourism spot at Gali Ali Bag – famed for its waterfall – has also been damaged by the rains. Two restaurants, two motels, and tens of gazebos and shops are flooded.
“Annually, Gali Ali Bag incurs lots of damage due to it being a mountainous area and the facilities not constructed in an appropriate manner,” Shaxawan Sreshmayi, a local resident, told Rudaw.
In the last 12 hours, 39 mm of rain has fallen in Erbil city. Soran has seen 27.4 mm in the same time.
Reporting from Baxtiyar Qadir