Heavy rain lashes RAK
ras al khaimah — Three vehicles were washed away, while a key road had to be closed as heavy rain lashed different parts of the UAE on Tuesday.
The driver of a concrete mixer is missing as the truck got washed away in Ras Al Khaimah’s Al Qur valley. Three Emirati youths were rescued after their 4WD vehicles got caught in a flash flood in the same valley.
The police forces of Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah teamed up to recover the three SUVs. The youths had ventured close to the streams in the valley despite “repeated warnings from the police to not do so”, an officer told Khaleej
Times. A search operation involving helicopters is on to rescue the truck driver.
ras al khaimah — Three vehicles, including two SUVs and a concrete mixer truck, were washed away in Ras Al Khaimah as heavy rains lashed different parts of the emirate on Tuesday. Driver of the truck is missing while three Emiratis in the SUVs were rescued by the police.
The Ras Al Khaimah Police, in collaboration with the Dubai Police, recovered the SUVs while search operations are continuing for the truck, a police officer told Khaleej Times.
Mountainous areas and valleys in the emirate witnessed heavy showers, causing flash floods. Despite repeated warnings from the authorities, three Emirati young men in three four-wheel-drive cars got closer to the running streams in Al Qur valley. The police rescue teams managed to save their lives.
Sources at the RAK Police said that the central operations room was alerted on Tuesday at 8.23pm that a concrete mixer truck with a driver at the wheel got swept by the floods at Al Qur valley.
“The RAK police, in collaboration with the National Centre for Search and Rescue of the Supreme Council for State Security, dispatched a chopper to the reported site and launched an intensive search operation at night, but nothing was found due to the poor visibility.”
Search operations continued on Wednesday, but nothing was found so far, they added.
“Investigations show that the missing driver is an Arab resident in his forties. He was trying to cross the valley when the water was shallow, but the water flow increased suddenly and he lost control of the vehicle which overturned in the deep valley.”
A few days ago, heavy showers lashed the mountainous Aasama area, some 15km to the north of Masafi. The Agili valley in the south also saw heavy downpour that caused flooding in the valleys.
Residents said they expected more showers as the sky was filled with clouds. A drizzle, prospects of rain are sure exciting in this arid part of the world. But the latest accident in Ras Al Khaimah proves the fragility of life. We cannot solely blame the mishaps like this on weather alone. Drivers should have been more mindful of their own safety and security when behind the wheel. Events like these serve as an eye opener for everyone.
Beware of nature’s fury