JEDDAH, 12 November 2003 — Torrential rains in Makkah left at least seven people dead and 48 injured on Monday. Al-Jazirah Arabic daily said the dead included an 11-year-old boy. It also reported that one person was still missing.
“The floods trapped students and employees and traffic came to a standstill in the Al-Zaher and Nawariya neighborhoods... and all over the city,” said the paper.
According to one news agency, the death roll has increased to 12, including six children, yesterday. The agency based its report on medical sources. It also said that water levels in some parts of Makkah reached six meters (20 feet).
Although the Kingdom is one of the most arid countries in the world and includes the vast Rub Al-Khali or Empty Quarter, severe rainstorms are common in the mountainous region along the west coast.
According to Al-Madinah daily, 30 people including several students and teachers were trapped and 200 vehicles were stranded as a result of massive flooding in Makkah.
Streams of rainwater stopped and jammed the traffic on several main roads and side streets preventing 30 percent of residents from reaching their homes in time to break their fast with their families.
The Civil Defense Department intensified its efforts to save those trapped in Al-Umrah Street, Al-Azizia Street and elsewhere, the paper said. It used helicopters to search for and rescue flood victims and rescue them.
The Red Crescent also participated in the rescue efforts. It dealt with about 18 emergency cases on site and took another 24 to hospital.
Muhammad Malaibary, the director of Red Crescent in Makkah, said the society deployed its rescue teams soon after the rainstorm hit the city.
Ahmad Bayazid, a senior official at the Makkah Municipality, denied earlier reports that the Al-Shuhada Dam had collapsed and this caused the flooding.
