Oman

UPDATED: Seven more killed in Oman following tropical storm Shaheen

cde.news desk 4 October 2021, 11:20 · 1 min read

Cars are seen in flooded streets after Tropical Storm Shaheen hits the capital Muscat in Oman, 03 October 2021. Cyclone Shaheen hits Oman's capital of Muscat on 03 October with wind speeds of up to 116 kilometers per hour and it is expected to strengthen into a category 1 tropical cyclone, the authority said. A child died due to flooding and another person was missing. EPA-EFE/HAMID ALQASIMI

Seven more people were killed in Oman as heavy winds and rain swept through the country after tropical storm Shaheen made landfall, the national emergency committee said on Monday on its official Twitter account.

Four people had been killed on Sunday including a child.

Latest data showed that the storm had subsided, the civil aviation authority said on Monday, warning that scattered rainfall was still expected.

It urged citizens to be careful crossing valleys and avoid low lying areas.

When its eye crossed land, Shaheen was carrying winds of between 120 and 150 km per hour (75-93 mph), Omani authorities said. It was throwing up waves of up to 10 metres (32 feet).

Video footage from Omani broadcasters showed vehicles submerged as people tried to make their way through muddy brown floodwater. State TV showed people in flooded areas being rescued by helicopter.

Up to 500 cm (20 inches) of rain was expected in some areas, raising the risk of flash floods.

Cyclones steadily lose their power over land and Shaheen was downgraded to a tropical storm after it cleared the ocean, the meteorology service said on Twitter.

Photo – Cars are seen in flooded streets after Tropical Storm Shaheen hits the capital Muscat in Oman. EPA-EFE/HAMID ALQASIMI