Floods hit Beirut, causing road closures, disruptions near airport

By Naeem Barjawi

BEIRUT (AA) - Floods swept through major streets in the Lebanese capital Beirut and its surrounding areas Sunday, causing the closure of a key road leading to Rafic Hariri International Airport due to heavy rainfall.

Rainwater flooded several roads in Beirut, including the airport tunnel, while firefighting teams intervened to rescue people trapped in their cars in the town of Khaldeh to the south, Lebanon's official National News Agency reported.

In the Baabda region, the local MTV channel reported that civil defense personnel worked to pull a car out and rescue people trapped inside due to water accumulation caused by the heavy rains.

In the Sanayeh neighborhood of Beirut, an Anadolu correspondent said floods inundated several neighborhoods, entering some homes after a large amount of rain.

Lebanese Minister of Public Works and Transport Ali Hamieh announced on X that "public works and transport ministry teams are working to clean the rainwater drains and address water accumulation under Khaldeh Bridge."

According to the Lebanese Meteorological Department, the country is experiencing heavy rain and winds reaching speeds of up to 50 kilometers (31 miles) per hour, with temperatures ranging between 13C (55F) at night and 23C (73F) during the day.

The floods coincide with the difficult conditions faced by the country due to Israel’s aggression, which has left 3,189 people dead and 14,078 injured, including many women and children, and around 1.4 million displaced.

Most of the victims and displaced people were recorded after Sept. 23, according to official Lebanese data.

*Writing by Alperen Aktas from Istanbul