At least 19 people have now died in flash flooding in Oman, with rescuers pulling two stranded people alive as downpours battered the country.
Oman’s national emergency authority yesterday said two survivors were pulled from Wadi Al Kharma in North Al Sharqiyah governorate.
The search goes on for several missing people including a child. At least nine of the 14 dead were described as students. Most of the dead were in cars trapped in wadis – narrow desert valleys – that quickly flooded with water.
Schools in several regions were closed yesterday and online classes will be held until tomorrow.
In one school in Al Mudhaibi, North Al Sharqiyah governorate, more than 1,000 children and teachers were moved when water flooded the area.
Oman Police carried out helicopter rescues on Sunday to save trapped people and transport them to hospital.
Nasser Said Al Ismaili, acting director of the weather forecast department and early warning system at the Civil Aviation Authority, warned that heavy rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms, strong winds, and hailstones, is expected across several areas.
Rainfall of between 30-120mm is forecast. Waves off Musandam and along the coasts are expected to reach a height of two to three metres.
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