LONDON: Flooding across the Syrian Arab Republic has killed five people, including four children, and left five others missing, the Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management said on Thursday evening. Search operations continued in rural areas of Raqqa, Deir Ezzor and Aleppo as rescue crews responded to heavy rain and flash floods that damaged roads, bridges and public facilities across six provinces. Syrian Civil Defense teams rescued 25 people trapped by floodwaters or stranded in vehicles in Raqqa, Deir Ezzor and Homs, the ministry said. Crews also evacuated about 375 families from three flooded displacement camps in rural Raqqa. The evacuations took place at the Sahlat Al-Banat, Al-Younani and Al-Maqass camps after floodwaters entered the sites. Elsewhere in Raqqa, the collapse of an earthen drainage crossing in Kasrat Surour left residents surrounded by water, affecting an estimated 100-plus families. The ministry said teams had carried out 165 emergency response operations by 11:30 p.m. Wednesday after receiving more than 350 reports. Crews prioritized life-threatening emergencies before addressing property damage and restoring access to roads and essential facilities. Flood damage extended across Aleppo, Raqqa, Deir Ezzor, Hama, Homs and Latakia provinces, disrupting transport and access to affected communities. In Raqqa, seven bridges, culverts and unpaved roads were left unusable, the ministry said. Crews used engineering equipment to secure the area around Ratla Bridge and reopen the road, while also responding to damage at the Al-Kantari and Al-Salmani bridges and the Kasrat Surour crossing. In neighboring Deir Ezzor province, three bridges spanning seasonal waterways were taken out of service. Alongside the rescue and road-clearing efforts, Civil Defense teams pumped water from more than 150 homes and public facilities, including two hospitals, schools and bakeries. They also cleared drainage channels and responded to weather-related traffic accidents. The flooding followed thunderstorms that brought hail and strong wind gusts to Raqqa, Hasakah, Deir Ezzor, eastern Homs, Hama and Aleppo, causing waterways to overflow and forcing road closures. Rescue teams remained deployed Thursday to search for the missing and respond to distress calls, while Civil Defense crews along Syria’s coast stepped up preparations for further heavy rain.