Heavy rains spark flooding in Kurdish-held Iraq

Flooding has hit several areas in the Kurdistan region of Iraq as a result of ongoing heavy rainfall. The Iraqi interior ministry declared a state of emergency in six Iraqi governorates due to the floods.

Taq Taq: Flooding has hit several areas in the Kurdistan region of Iraq as a result of ongoing heavy rainfall.

Several buildings, tourist resorts, and farms were hit by the floods in the town of Taq Taq, 90 kilometres southeast of Irbil, the capital city of Iraqi Kurdistan.

Municipality workers were deployed on Wednesday to take preventive measures against the flooding, including clearing of the roads and opening up channel pipes to release the excess water.

Local media quoted the director of the Kurdistan region's meteorology department, Fazil Ibrahim, as saying that the rainfall this winter had been the highest in 30 years.

The Iraqi interior ministry on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in six Iraqi governorates due to the floods.