Heavy rains in Baghdad leave 4 deadDecember 26, 2012 - 21:02 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The worst rains to hit Baghdad in 30 years left four people dead and many of the Iraqi capital's residents struggling to cope with heavy flooding on Wednesday, Dec 26, as the government declared a national holiday, according to The Gulf Today. Police said an unusually heavy rainstorm collapsed shoddy houses, killing a woman and three children. A police officer said a house in the town of Mohammed Al Sakran, about 40 kilometers northeast of Baghdad, collapsed Tuesday night, killing the three children and their aunt. The parents were injured, he said, adding that five other people were injured when two mud houses collapsed in the outskirts of Baghdad's rundown Sadr City slum. Two health officials confirmed the causality figures. Patients reported long and difficult journeys to hospitals, shopkeepers complained of a lack of business and several roads were immersed in water, in some cases as much as waist-high. In the predominantly-Shiite northeastern district of Sadr City, the area surrounding Fatima Al Zahra hospital was completely flooded, and patients said trips that normally took 15 minutes had taken them as long as two hours. The Iraqi Meteorological Organization reported on Wednesday that 6.75 centimeters of rain fell in Baghdad a day earlier, which its chief said was the highest such figure in 30 years. The heavy rain spurred the government to declare Wednesday a national holiday, the fourth time this year it has been forced to do so because of bad weather. The other three were due to heat during Iraq's boiling summer. The rain also affected shopkeepers who saw dramatically lower sales as a result of the flooding. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Cyprus parliament honors Armenian genocide victims Acting House President Zacharias Koulias noted that April 24 marks the “black anniversary” of the Armenian genocide. Armenia PM, France envoy discuss regional matters Issues related to the consistent development of Armenia-France cooperation were discussed. Azerbaijan razes historic Armenian church to ground Azerbaijan has demolished the historic Armenian Church of St. John the Baptist (known as Kanach Zham). Russia to begin assessing migrant workers' speaking skills Rosobrnadzor is planning to change the Russian language exam for migrant workers and include an assessment of speaking skills |