Muscat. There were over 600 (639) drowning-related accidents in 2024 across the Sultanate, compared to only 166 accidents in 2023, according to the Civil Defense and Ambulance Authority (CDAA).
This significant increase of 473 accidents took place mostly in wadis, the sea, dams, ponds, wells, open water tanks, and flowing streams during rainfall.
According to CDAA, however, most of these cases took place in the wadis, as visitors generally have inadequate or swimming skills.
Drowning accidents occur frequently during the summer, when many people visit wadis and beaches to escape the high temperatures, and the risk is high among adults
and children who do not know how to swim.
In addition to the lack of supervision of children during trips to wadis and beaches, other reasons include the failure to adhere to warning regulations that prohibit swimming in dangerous areas, as well as crossing wadis without paying attention to the strength of the currents.
CDAA said it is essential to adhere to safety procedures, including swimming in designated and equipped places, ensuring the presence of fixed support tools like handles around swimming pools, in addition to providing lifebuoys and swimming vests, and not filling the pools for children to the maximum.
In case of emergency, please call the emergency number (9999) or the CDAA's operations center (24343666).
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