7 More Killed in Oman Following Tropical Storm Shaheen

7 More Killed in Oman Following Tropical Storm Shaheen
Workers repair damages caused by Cyclone Shaheen in Al Musanaa, Al Batina region, Oman, on Oct. 4, 2021(Oman News Agency/Handout via Reuters)
Reuters
10/4/2021
Updated:
10/4/2021

DUBAI—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.

The 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 the eye of the storm crossed land, Shaheen was carrying winds of between 75-93 mph, Omani authorities said. It was throwing up waves of up to 32 feet.

Oman Military officials repair damages caused by Cyclone Shaheen in Al Musanaa, Oman, on Oct. 4, 2021. (Oman News Agency/Handout via Reuters)
Oman Military officials repair damages caused by Cyclone Shaheen in Al Musanaa, Oman, on Oct. 4, 2021. (Oman News Agency/Handout via Reuters)

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. People walked along flooded streets, while a tractor ploughed through the mud.

Up to 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.

By Lilian Wagdy