Two Jordanian ministers resign amid outcry over school bus deaths

Twenty-one people, most of them children, died last week after a school trip was authorised despite official warnings of bad weather and flash flooding.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab & agencies

01 November, 2018

Floods pictured in Jordan last week caused deadly mudslides [Getty]

Jordan's education and tourism ministers resigned on Thursday amid mounting criticism over a deadly school bus crash last week that left 21 people, most of them children, dead.

"Education Minister Azmi Mahafzah and Tourism Minister Lina Annab today submitted their resignation to Prime Minister Omar al-Razzaz," an official told AFP.

Annab herself wrote on Twitter she was stepping down "in the shadow of the general political climate and the painful period".

Several members of parliament called earlier this week for the two ministers to be dismissed because the outing had been authorised despite warnings of bad weather.

The pupils, their teachers and minders had stepped out of their bus in a tourist area called Al-Miyah al-Sakhina when they were hit by a flash flood that washed them towards the nearby Dead Sea.

The Dead Sea, the lowest point on the earth, is surrounded by steep valley slopes that frequently witness flash floods and landslides.

Twitter Post

Officials had prior to the accident repeatedly warned about a heavy storm forecast to hit the kingdom.

Prime Minister Razzaz arrived at the scene of the accident last Thursday to direct the search and rescue efforts.

He at the time said authorities would investigate why the field trip went ahead despite warnings about weather conditions and those found at fault would be held to account.

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