Emirati who died in floods in Oman named

ABU DHABI // Omani authorities have named Emirati Rashid Al Shamsi as one of eight people who died at the weekend due to heavy rains over the sultanate, while in Fujairah an eight-year-old Emirati boy also drowned after falling into a dam on Friday.

Capt Mohammed Al Hashmi, of the Royal Oman Police, said Al Shamsi was one of five Emiratis travelling in a vehicle that was washed away while crossing Wadi Al Kihla in Mudhaiba province on Friday night.

Four were rescued by the civil defence with the aid of police helicopters but Al Shamsi’s body was found a few kilometres downstream at 6am on Saturday.

Six Omani citizens and one Asian also died in the floods at the weekend.

“Drivers put themselves and others in danger by trying to cross,” Capt Al Hashmi said. “A family of Omanis, including three children, died the same way this weekend when the father tried to cross.”

He said drivers should wait for a few hours for the waters to subside rather than risk their lives and those of their passengers.

Omani police are stationed at numerous wadis and issue fines and warnings to reckless drivers, but Capt Al Hashmi said it was impossible to cover all of them.

“The public has to take the responsibility of not putting themselves or others in dangerous situations,” he said.

One UAE resident taking advantage of the three-day weekend and cooler temperatures in Oman was Youssef Nasser.

The 32-year-old set out for Jebel Shams, Oman’s highest peak, with nine people in four off-road vehicles. “We couldn’t even see the mountain and decided to go to Jebel Akdhar instead after the rain got heavier and heavier,” Mr Nasser said.

The convoy came across a wadi flowing over the road they were driving on. Only a Jeep and truck dared to cross and their engines suffered and were smoking afterwards. “You never know how deep they are and what might have washed up underneath,” he said.

In Fujairah, the boy drowned after falling into the Wadi Siji dam. The emirate’s police said H M M was playing near the dam with his two cousins at around 5pm when he slipped and fell into the water. He was pulled from the water by a passing tourist who heard the cousins’ calls for help.

Brig Gen Mohammed Al Tunaiji, deputy commander-in-chief at Fujairah Police, said: “The water levels were high due to the recent heavy rain and the area was covered with mud.”

The boy was buried on Saturday in Al Hinya.