Shielded from war, Syria town emptied out by earthquake and floods

Village of Al-Tloul is flooded as a result of a Syrian dam being opened fearing aftershocks damaging the dam according to the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights, in Idlib region, Syria February 9, 2023 in this picture obtained from social media. Mohamed Al-Daher/via REUTERS.

(In 5th paragraph, changes to Thursday from Wednesday)

AL-TLOUL, Syria (Reuters) -Shielded from 12 years of civil war, the small northwest Syrian town of Al-Tloul near the Turkish border has been devastated by Monday's huge earthquake and ensuing flooding that has pushed out nearly all of its inhabitants, residents said.