Muscat: The Sultan’s Armed Forces (SAF) joined hands with military, security and civil authorities and other sectors to deal with the current adverse weather conditions. The SAF is lending support through a plan set by the Military Committee for Management of Emergencies.
The committee is holding meetings at SAF headquarters in Muaskar Al Murtafaa to assess and upgrade military units’ preparedness to tackle the impacts of the exceptional weather condition. The meetings are chaired by Brig Hamid bin Abdullah al Balushi, SAF Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations and Planning, Chairman of the Military Committee for Management of Emergencies.
During a meeting on Wednesday, the committee was briefed about measures taken by all military subcommittees in the governorates affected by the exceptional weather condition, as well as the roles undertaken by all formations, bases and units in the SAF and other departments of the Ministry of Defence.
The meeting reviewed means of providing support and devising plans to extend assistance to citizens and residents in accordance with the requirements of emergency situations and the plan set by the committee.
Meanwhile, the body of a girl of Asian origin was found in a wadi in the Wilayat of Saham.
The field teams of the Royal Oman Police, Royal Army of Oman, Civil Defence and Ambulance Authority dealt with a report of 23 people being stranded in Wadi Al Sail in the Wilayat of Mahout, and all of them are rescued.
The Royal Oman Police have responded to a number of reports in the past three days, which resulted in the rescue of more than 1,630 people and the evacuation of more than 630 people.
Police aviation carried out eight sorties over the past hours for more than 13 people, including rescuing people, transporting the injured, treating patients, and searching for missing persons.
Oman Met Office has warned that there are chances of low clouds or fog formation on Wednesday night and early morning hours of Thursday which may lead to a decrease in visibility over parts of the governorates of Al Buraimi, Al Dhahirah, Al Dakhiliyah, Al Sharqiyah South, Al Sharqiyah North, Al Wusta and Dhofar.
The Ministry of Education has decided to grant directors-general of education in governorates the powers to determine the mechanism of official duty for Thursday, after assessing the situation of each school in a manner that guarantees the safety of students and teaching staff.
This decision was taken following the follow-up made by the Central Committee for Emergency Management at the Ministry of Education on impacts of the weather condition.
BASIC SERVICES
Meanwhile, basic services such as the entry to Adam and other roads, electricity outage in Saham for almost 12 hours, were hit. Traffic was also cut off on the main street leading to Nizwa, due to rains.
As per the weather stations of Oman Met Office, the wilayats that recorded highest rainfall were Shinas, Al Batinah North with 186.4 mm, Wadi Bani Khalid, Al Sharqiyah with 151 mm, Wilayat of Dhank in Al Dhahirah recorded 142 mm.
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
