At least seven people died and many others were injured or trapped
by heavy rain and floods that swept various regions of Saudi Arabia.
(AFP)
Saudi Gazette, Jeddah
Wednesday, 30 November 2016
At least seven people died and many others were injured or trapped
by heavy rain and floods that swept various regions of Saudi Arabia,
press reports said on Tuesday.
The dead
included three young Saudi men in Bisha, two others in Baha and two
expatriates who were struck by a thunderbolt in Qunfudah.
Torrential
floods also destroyed a number of houses, blocked roads and overturned
vehicles. The rain and floods in the last few days uncovered the
ineffective drainage systems in many parts of the country.
The
two expatriates were killed by a thunderbolt, which also injured two of
their companions in Qunfudah governorate in Makkah province. Civil
Defense teams rushed the victims to hospital.
The
rain inundated various parts of Qunfudah governorate and washed away
large sections of the International Road linking Jeddah and Jazan.
Heavy
rain lashed Bisha for more than three hours. Three people were killed
and two others injured in a traffic accident in the city.
The
rain flooded Wadi Houran, in the southwest of the governorate, causing
cracks in the road leading to Arar in the north of the Kingdom. The rain
also caused a number of cars to overturn or skid off roads.
The
traffic department warned citizens and expatriates against going out
during heavy rain. Police said a number of traffic accidents took place
in the region but there were no deaths or serious injuries.
In
Mahayil Asir, students of an elementary school were trapped for three
hours in Wadi Mumadad. Their school suspended classes. Many other
schools in the region did the same after receiving warnings of heavy
rain from the Presidency of Meteorology and Environmental Protection.
Asir
Civil Defense spokesman Col. Mohammed Al-Asmi said an Egyptian was
rescued from Wadi Zura in Al-Bark governorate. He was reported to be in
good health.
The Civil Defense also hauled
a vehicle that was trapped in Al-Lahman Valley. There were also
landslides on Bark-Mahayil Asir Road.
King
Khalid University’s Women’s Campus in Tihama and other schools in
Mahayil Asir and Al-Qura governorate have suspended classes and asked
their students to stay at home.
The Civil Defense rescued a number of teachers who were trapped in Suyool Valley.
In
Riyadh, a Public Security aircraft evacuated two people after their
cars were washed away in Wadi Ghilanah, about 15 km from the capital
city. Traffic police shut down a road to prevent motorists from getting
caught by floodwaters.
Heavy rain has
flooded the intersection of Al-Hayer Road with Arafat Bridge in the
south of the Saudi capital. Police redirected traffic to the north.
They
also closed down exit 18 and exit 19 to prevent motorists from
approaching flooded areas. In Baha, where two people were killed and six
others injured.
Two people were hit by
lightning on Sunday during heavy rain and thunderstorm in the province.
Baha Red Crescent spokesman Emad Al-Zahrani said the Red Crescent
received reports of two expatriates being hit by a thunderbolt in a
village in Al-Qura governorate. Paramedics transported the victims, who
sustained severe burns in various parts of their body, to Al-Mandaq
Hospital.
The municipality and the traffic
department monitored roads to offer assistance in emergency cases. The
municipality received several reports of people being trapped or having
electricity cut off.
The municipality has
its maintenance team in the field and ready to clear sewage canals from
falling boulders that may clog the passages. The police are well
prepared to rescue people trapped by floods. Many people are rescued by
volunteers.
In Al-Darb, to the north or
Jazan, a number of houses collapsed and electricity was cut off to the
city. There were several traffic accidents in the area.
Though
rain was not very heavy in Buraidah, yet it uncovered the inefficient
drainage system, which obliged the municipality to dry up the streets
using tankers.
The rain and floods in Qassim have exposed the bad designing and construction of the new Muznib-Sajir regional road.
This article was first published by the
Saudi Gazette on November 30, 2016.
Last Update: Wednesday, 30 November 2016 KSA 13:42 - GMT 10:42
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