Oman: Three dead and seven rescued as heavy rain causes flooding
One adult and two children were killed in flash flooding in Oman’s Dhakiliyah and Rustaq governorates on Thursday, as rain continues to lash the sultanate.
An Asian expatriate man, was swept away in a valley in the Wilayat of Al Hamra in the central Dakhiliyah governorate earlier on Thursday. His body was recovered by the rescue teams from the Civil Defence and Ambulance Authority (CDAA).
Later, two drowning children aged nine and 10 were rescued by citizens in Wadi Al Sahtan, Rustaq, but later died in hospital.
Oman’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) issued a severe weather warning on Thursday for the governorates of Muscat, Al Sharqiyah, Dakhiliyah, Al Batinah, Dhahirah, Wusta and Dhofar. It said between 30 and 80 millimetres of rain could fall in a 24-hour period.
Strong winds are also expected, the CAA said. The CDAA warned residents to avoid lighting and electrical poles and to watch out for dangling wires.
Police urged people during the storms to stay away from wadis, which can fill up fast and without warning.
The CDAA rescues in Dhakiliya governorate include getting a family of four to safety in Jebel Shams, and saving a family of three from a car stuck in Wadi Shaya.
