Fujairah ruling family member joins major clean-up operation after emirate hit by floods

Sheikh Dr Rashid bin Hamad Al Sharqi comforted residents whose homes were damaged during days of heavy rain

Sheikh Dr Rashid bin Hamad Al Sharqi, Chairman of Fujairah Culture and Media Authority, is supporting the clean-up effort after floods caused widespread damage to homes and property. All pictures: Instagram

Sheikh Dr Rashid comforted residents hit hard by the flash floods.

He was praised for stepping up to support the clean-up campaign.

The Fujairah royal family member greets a resident.

Sheikh Dr Rashid comforts a resident as Fujairah begins its recovery from the devastating effects of days of extreme weather.

Residents praised officials online for their community spirit.

Latest: UAE authorities on alert again as summer rain falls on Northern Emirates

A member of Fujairah's ruling family pitched in to support a major clean-up operation under way in the emirate after flash floods caused widespread damage to homes and property.

Sheikh Dr Rashid bin Hamad Al Sharqi, the son of Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Ruler of Fujairah, is seen wading through floodwaters, helping to clear debris and consoling those hit hard by days of torrential rain in videos shared online.

Sheikh Dr Rashid, chairman of Fujairah Culture and Media Authority, was praised for his sense of community spirit and compassion by social media users.

In one video, Sheikh Dr Rashid is shown consoling an elderly woman in tears after her home was damaged by the country's heaviest rain in decades.

He comforts the woman and tells her that the house will be repaired and be in even better condition than it was before the floods.

“God bless you,” said the elderly woman in the video.

Sheikh Dr Rashid visited a number of homes damaged during the hazardous weather, helping to bring hope to residents who have suffered in recent days.

Tankers releasing water into the sea after the recent flood in Fujairah. All photos: Pawan Singh / The National

Municipality workers cleaning the road near the corniche after the recent flood in Fujairah.

Fujairah's government has asked residents to report damage to their homes, vehicles and possessions as it seeks to record the scale of the floods.

There have been intensive efforts to clear streets and other flood-hit areas.

Hundreds of volunteers cleared debris and distributed food and water to those in need.

A worker helps clear a road as pools of water remain after recent flooding.

A tanker helps to pump water from a flooded road.

A water tanker works as part of a major clean-up operation in Fujairah.

A welcome spell of sunshine on Monday offered a chance for motorists to dry out their cars.

A water tank helps to clear a heavily flooded road in Kalba, Sharjah, on Monday.

Workers clear mud from the roads after recent floods in Kalba.

Kalba was one of the areas hardest hit by last week's heavy rainfall.

Standing water remains in Fujairah, days after the heavy rainfall.

A road remains underwater in Kalba.

An extensive clean-up operation continues in Kalba after the country's wettest weather in decades.

Tankers clear the waterlogged area around a mosque near the corniche after last week's flash floods in Fujairah.

The videos and pictures were widely circulated on social media, with many expressing their thanks.

“Our rulers are teaching us humanity and humility. May God protect them,” said Nabeel Al Ali on Twitter.

“Watching the video gave me goosebumps. He is very humble. God bless you,” said Abu Naif in a post on Instagram.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah, visited Fujairah Exhibition Centre to thank volunteers who have answered the call to clear roads, clean homes and help life in the emirate return to normality.

He was joined on the visit by Hessa Buhumaid, Minister of Community Development.

Hundreds of people have joined the “Together Hand in Hand” campaign set up by authorities to clear streets and other flood-hit areas of the emirate.

Some volunteers used their 4x4 cars to help pull out cars submerged in floodwaters while others have distributed food and water supplies to residents in need.

A nationwide emergency response sprang into action when the Northern Emirates were hit by heavy rain, and teams from civil defence and ambulance services across the country were sent to Fujairah and Khor Fakkan to move families from their flooded homes.

Seven people have died during the floods, Brig Gen Dr Ali Salem Al Tunaiji, Director General of the Ministry of Interior's Federal Central Operations, said on Friday.

More than 800 people were rescued and thousands more placed in temporary accommodation in Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed, the Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region and chairman of the Emirates Red Crescent, last week instructed the ERC and its centres across the country to provide all forms of logistical and field support to Emirati teams supporting those affected by the rain, in addition to putting the authority’s workers and volunteers on standby.

Volunteers help flood-hit Fujairah - in pictures

Volunteers from the community service group Takatof sweep debris from a road, after the floods in Fujairah. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Takatof volunteers carry the collected debris away with a wheelbarrow. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Municipality workers drain water from a flooded road in Fujairah. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

The volunteers work on another part of the road. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Workers pump floodwaters from the roads into tankers in Fujairah city. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Life was returning to normal in the emirate, on Saturday. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

A vehicle surrounded by floodwaters. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Receding floodwaters in Fujairah city. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Eminence Private School surrounded by water after heavy rains in Fujairah. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Authorities are continuing with a clean-up operation in the city. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Waterlogged streets in Fujairah. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Sadaf Resturant during a clean-up and renovations after the floods. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

A waterlogged street in Kalba. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Residents Tarikul Alauddin and Mojammel Ali, from Bangladesh, outside their house in Kalba, which was heavily damaged by flooding and left with no electricity. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Property belonging to Wali Said, from Pakistan, inside his flooded home in Kalba. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Abdelbasit Hassan's home and car (not pictured) were damaged by the heavy rainfall in Kalba. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Tahidul Islam, from Bangladesh, sweeps out dirty water after the floods in Kalba subsided. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Municipality workers clean up an area affected by floods in Fujairah. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Staff at a restaurant scoop up water surrounding the premises in Fujairah. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Lorries slowly make their way on a heavily flooded road in the city. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

A car swept into a ditch by floodwaters in Fujairah. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

A construction vehicle partially submerged on a street in the city. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

People walk across pools of water. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

A vehicle stalled by heavy rain and floodwaters in Fujairah on Friday. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

A flooded area in Fujairah city. Photo: Fujairah Media Office

Jama Al Ghurfa Mosque on Fujairah's corniche surrounded by floodwaters. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Vehicles on a waterlogged road in the city. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

A food and entertainment area surrounded by water in Fujairah, after days of rain. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Vehicles partially submerged on the streets of the city. Photo: Mahesh Jangam / @MaheshMj80202 / Twitter

A stalled minibus on a street in Fujairah. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

A flooded shop on the corniche in Fujairah. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Drivers navigate a flooded motorway in Fujairah. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Floodwaters surround a leisure and entertainment area in Fujairah. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Towers in Fujairah city surrounded by floodwaters. Photo: Mahesh Jangam / @MaheshMj80202 / Twitter

A dam in the emirate of Fujairah overflows. Photo: Fujairah Media Office

A car makes its way through floodwaters . Khushnum Bhandari / The National