Sudden flooding has killed at least 18 people in Oman after a potent weather system dumped nearly a year’s worth of rain on the country along the Arabian Peninsula.
The rain created deadly flash flooding, prompting rescues and sweeping away a school bus. The Oman Observer reported that 10 children between the ages of 10 and 15 died.
The Royal Oman Police continue to rescue people caught in the flooding. Police officials said they rescued 75 people between Monday and Tuesday and continue to search for missing people.
Photos and video shared by the Royal Oman Police show aerial rescues.
Officials warned residents not to drive or approach the streams flowing with floodwater known locally as wadis.
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During the flooding, the Royal Police and Oman’s National Committee for Emergency Management regularly post warnings and videos telling people not to get close to the usually dry river beds. The quick-moving water can quickly sweep away children or vehicles that attempt to cross.
Rain continues to fall in Oman and neighboring nations of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, where there have been reports of flash flooding.
On Tuesday, between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. local time in Oman, 1-1.5 inches of rain fell in areas that normally average 2-3 inches per year.
Some information in this article was obtained using Google Translate.