Muscat: At least 15 people have died and one remains missing after flash floods hit large parts of Oman on Sunday, April 14.
On Sunday, Oman experienced severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall, causing major flash floods in several governorates including Muscat, North Al Batinah, South Al Batinah, South Al Sharqiyah, North Al Sharqiyah, Al Dhahirah, and Al Dakhiliyah.
Taking to X on Monday, April 15, Civil Defence and Ambulance Authority (CDAA) wrote, “Search teams from the Civil Defense and Ambulance Department in #North_Al-Sharqiyah Governorate were able to find the child who had died, and search efforts are still continuing for the last missing person.”
According to authority on social media, the deaths were as a result of cars being swept away by floodwaters following torrential rain.
Among the dead were ten students, four Omanis, and an Indian expatriate from Kerala.
The expat, identified as Sunil Kumar Sadhanandan, a mechanic from Kerala, died after a wall collapsed on him in South Sharqiyah, Onmanorama reported.
Omani Police are deploying land and air operations to rescue trapped individuals in flooded areas, including valleys, transport injured to hospitals, and search for missing individuals.
On Monday, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) issued weather alert No. 3, predicting varying intensity of rainfall in most governorates of the Sultanate of Oman on April 15 till Tuesday, April 16.
The CAA advices all to exercise maximum caution during thunderstorms, avoid crossing wadis (flashfloods), avoid low laying areas and avoid venturing into the sea during the alert period, the Oman News Agency (ONA) reported.
Schools in several regions were closed on Monday, and online classes will continue until Wednesday, April 17.