MUSCAT: The rescue teams of the Civil Defence and Ambulance Authority (CDAA), rescued 36 people who were stranded in overflowing wadis due to the severe weather conditions the Sultanate has experienced recently. They are all in good condition, said Colonel Mubarak bin Salim al Araimi, Director-General of Operations and Training at the CDAA.
In an interview with Oman News Agency (ONA), Colonel Mubarak said that the CDAA has since the first statement put all its departments and centres on standby, activated emergency plans and deployed personnel and equipment in the governorates that were likely affected by heavy rains.
Al Araimi explained that the CDAA Operation Centre received 37 reports since the outset of the weather condition. The reports were related to people stranded in overflowing wadis and houses inundated with rainwater. The Operation Centre, for its turn, directed the field teams to deal with the reports related to the weather condition and other reports related to the services provided by the CDAA.
The search and rescue teams in South Al Sharqiyah Governorate handled 15 reports related to people stranded in overflowing wadis while the other teams dealt with 10 reports in North Al Batinah, 4 reports in Muscat Governorate and 1 each in South Al Batinah, Dhofar and Al Dakhiliyah governorates. Also, 232 people in South Al Sharqiyah and 103 people in North Al Batinah were evacuated to safe places after their houses were surrounded with rainwater, Al Araimi said.
The Governorate of South Al Sharqiyah was provided with 10,000-capacity water tankers to ensure the continuity of water supply to citizens and residents, he added.
The search operations are ongoing by the CDAA teams to locate two citizens who were reported missing in Wadi Bani Jabir and Wadi Bu Qala in the Wilayat of Sur in South Al Sharqiyah Governorate, he concluded. — ONA
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