Torrential rains have been lashing the Gulf region, leading to flash floods that have claimed 20 lives and caused disruptions at Dubai Airport, the world’s second most frequented air hub. The United Arab Emirates, Oman’s northern neighbour, experienced on Tuesday its largest rainfall event since records began 75 years ago.
On Wednesday, the airport faced “extremely difficult conditions,” urging travelers to stay away due to waterlogged runways.
To the north, flash floods claimed the life of a man trapped in his vehicle. In Oman, the discovery of a young girl’s body in Saham raised the nation’s flood-related fatalities to 19 since Sunday.
Tragically, on Sunday, a bus carrying 10 students aged 10 to 15, along with an adult, was overwhelmed by rising floodwaters while crossing a wadi in Sharqiya province’s al-Mudhaibi area, roughly 115km (70 miles) from Muscat, resulting in their deaths.
