Muscat – Twelve people lost their lives, including nine children, with over 1,300 others rescued during heavy rains on Sunday. The deluge, triggered by a low-pressure system, is expected to continue till Wednesday, with some areas bracing for thunderstorms and torrential downpours measuring between 30mm to 120mm.

Speaking to Muscat Daily, an official at Civil Defence and Ambulance Authority said CDAA rescued over 1,300, including schoolchildren trapped by rising waters.

He added that nine children were found dead in North Sharqiyah and that efforts were  underway to search for five people missing in the governorate.

In a remarkable effort, CDAA teams with support from other authorities and citizens, evacuated 1,200 students and staff from a school in Mudhaibi, all in sound health.

Another school in Mudhaibi – Rawdha School – was inundated with Wadi Samad al Shan flowing dangerously high, necessitating urgent evacuations as parked vehicles were swept away.

In Ibra, a school bus with 27 children was swept away in a wadi, but all were rescued unharmed.

Police aviation units carried out eight sorties through the day and rescued more than 35 people, including injured individuals needing urgent medical care, besides searching for missing persons.

CDAA further informed that a house collapsed in Wadi Bani Khalid; specialised teams successfully rescued victims trapped inside. Additionally, 20 citizens were rescued from three inundated houses in the Al Qahm area of Wadi Bani Khalid.

A CDAA team rescued a citizen in Amerat after his vehicle was swept away in Wadi Haym. The rescue personnel also evacuated ten students from a school in Muscat.

In Dakhliyah, CDAA teams rescued 21 students from a school bus stuck in rising waters in Nizwa. A family of seven was also rescued in Izki after rainwater inundated their house.

Schools suspended

The Ministry of Education has announced that all schools in the governorates of Muscat, South Batinah, North Sharqiyah, South Sharqiyah, Dakhliyah and Dhahirah will be closed on Monday due to unstable weather conditions.

In a statement, the ministry said schools can conduct remote learning according to available resources. Classes will resume on Tuesday.

The Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation also announced distance learning mode for all private higher education institutions and vocational colleges on Monday.

89mm rains in Bidiyah

Data collected from the rain monitoring stations of Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources on Sunday showed that Bidiyah received 89mm of rainfall, the highest in the country on Sunday. This was followed by Ibra receiving 80mm of rainfall, Quriyat and Amerat 78mm, Mudhaibi 75mm, Al Qabil 71mm, Yanqul 66mm and Izki 65mm. Additionally, Ibri received 58mm rainfall, Sinaw 43mm and Nizwa 42mm.

The ministry stated that Wadi Dayqah Dam overflowed on Sunday. It called on citizens and residents to stay away from the wadi in the area and follow safety instructions.

Emergency management

The National Committee for Emergency Management (NCEM) activated its operations centre and mobilised all relevant units and sub-committees in the affected governorates on Sunday. It informed that it was prepared to address and respond to the challenges posed by unstable weather conditions.

In a statement, NCEM emphasised that it was  closely monitoring alerts from the National Multi Hazard Early Warning Centre regarding weather developments.