ROP issues advisory; MoH, Salalah port formulate contingency plans Salalah Airport to continue operations
Salalah Airport to continue operations, no cancellation of flights
In the wake of Tropical Cyclone Luban, the ROP has issued a safety advisory for citizens and residents. The southern region of Oman is likely to see heavy rains from Saturday and isolated rains from Thursday.
Safety guidelines
▶ In case of strong winds shut the windows and doors of your house firmly
▶Carry a radio to follow weather bulletins in case of power failure
▶ Park your vehicle in a safe place and ensure fuel tank is full
▶ In case of evacuation orders, pay attention to the instructions without any delay
▶ Don’t go near the sea
▶ Stay indoors and avoid venturing out during storm or rain
▶ Do not stand near electricity poles or loose wires
▶ If you call for help, wait until an
emergency team arrives. Call 9999 in case of emergency ▶ Fishermen should keep their boats tied in safe places Salim bin Awadh al Yafei, deputy CEO of Oman Airports for Salalah has announced that the airport will continue operations. He said that flights will not be cancelled unless their safety is at risk.
Intensive efforts under way
Various government institutions are making intensive efforts to mitigate the effects of Luban over the next few days. The Civil Defence Committee in Dhofar Governorate held an extraordinary meeting under the chairmanship of Maj Gen Hamad bin Sulaiman al Hatmi, Assistant Inspector General of Police and Customs and deputy chairman of the National Committee for Civil De- fence. The meeting reasserted that all basic services such as medical, electricity, water, telecommunications will be available.
Ministry of Health forms task forces
H E Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Obaid al Sa’eedi, Minister of Health, in a statement issued on Wednesday said that H E Dr Mohammed bin Saif al Hosni, Undersecretary for Health Affairs in the ministry along with Dr Rashid bin Hamad al Badi, director of Emergency Management Center, have been asked to visit Dhofar governorate to follow up the readiness of health institutions.
Nearby governorates too are ready to provide health services, medications, medical supplies and cadres when needed.
Port of Salalah forms contingency plan
The Port of Salalah has also is- sued a statement on its contingency plan.
The statement read, “Based on current estimates, all non-essential personnel and equipment will need to vacate the port and we will cease all operations no later than 6am on October 11. Vessels will not be authorised to stay in the harbour after this time, and locations for safe refuge outside the harbour have been designated by the harbour master. The ultimate responsibility for safety of the crew and vessels in the safe refuge area remains with the master of the vessel. Port operations will resume once it has been deemed safe to do so.”
It added, “Customers who have refrigerated and or have IMO hazardous cargo inside the port are strongly advised to evacuate their containers prior to the aforementioned shutdown. For any enquiries direct your requests to Port of Salalah through the number +968 23219052.”