Sana, Aug. 12 -- "Flash floods in Yemen, triggered by torrential rains, have killed at least 172 people, and damaged homes and UNESCO-listed world heritage sites across the country," officials said.

A government official said that in the mainly-government-held province of Maarib, east of the capital Sanaa, 19 children were among 30 people killed by the floods. In the province's displaced persons camps, 1,340 families saw their tents and belongings swept away.

"In the Lahij province in the government-held south, seven people drowned when their vehicle was swept downstream," a government official told the AFP news agency.

Another four people were killed on the road connecting the southern provinces of Hadramaut and Shabwa, the official a...