Heavy rains lash Oman
MUSCAT: Rains lashed parts of Oman late on Tuesday night and in the early hours of Wednesday, causing flooding and significant damage to property in several areas of the country.
Dozens of trees were uprooted as a consequence of the wind and rain. Many struck people’s homes and vehicles, damaging them in the process, sometimes extensively. Some of the trees also fell over livestock that could not get out of the way fast enough.
So intense was the weather that it also caused the roofs of some buildings, constructed from tin, steel, and other metals, to come loose, further damaging billboards, shops and homes. Winds blowing at a furious speed also tore out sections of walls, which caused plenty of damage to the vehicles on which they landed.
The Director of Saham Hospital said that damages resulted in the injury of 13 people of which seven were transferred to Sohar Hospital.
In the wilayat of Khabourah in North Al Batinah, though, a section of the wall from a goat shed collapsed, killing many of the animals that had been placed inside for their own shelter. People need to take caution while going out on the roads: many roads have been flooded, requiring motorists to find alternate ways to their destination.
A number of wadis are also overflowing, including Wadi Al Jizzi, Wadi Falaj Al Qabail, Wadi Sahban, and Wadi Al Mahmoum. A number of half-constructed buildings that were yet to be completed also faced the brunt of the rainstorms. The Civil Defence and Ambulance Authority (CDAA) has been busy trying to keep the roads clear, in collaboration with municipal authorities. They were also required to rescue people who’d been caught in the rain: in one instance, three people required extraction after the heavy vehicle and trailer they were driving got stuck in Wadi Deel Al Abdulsalam.
Rescue teams were also able to help two workers who’d gotten stuck under a wall under construction in wilayat Saham. They were provided emergency medical care, and are recovering in hospital. Nizwa Souq – an important commercial hub in Al Dakhiliyah – also faced plenty of flooding that led to serious damage, after rains began at around midnight.