Aussies stranded amid Dubai flood chaos
Aussies stranded in Dubai have complained of airport chaos, saying queues were so long they have been unable to get food or run to the bathroom over fear of losing their place.
Travellers departing Dubai to fly home to Australia can finally check in for their flights, as the UAE starts cleaning up in the aftermath of torrential rain and widespread flooding. Travellers were stranded at the airport on Wednesday, living on rationed snacks and duty-free groceries as the city battled its heaviest rain since records began 75 years ago.
A record 254mm – or 25.4cm – fell on the desert city in a matter of hours, flooding buildings and clogging highways.
In neighbouring Oman at least 19 people have died in flash floods triggered by heavy rain, its National Committee for Emergency Management said. Casualties included schoolchildren, according to Oman’s state news agency.
The wife of a Melbourne man told Seven News he was stranded on a plane for more than 10 hours without explanation, with passengers told they couldn’t get up to use the bathrooms.
“There has been no communication from the airline, no airport announcement, Emirates has also disabled their online chat and Dubai information line,” the woman said.
He was travelling alone and couldn’t leave the service queue to use the bathroom or get food.
The storms hit the Oman, the UAE and Bahrain on Monday and Tuesday. There have also been power outages and reports of submerged and abandoned cars, with one road tunnel in Dubai completely flooded to a depth of several metres. WORLD: P15