JEDDAH, 30 April 2005 — At least 41 people were killed, including 10 in Jeddah, as torrential rains accompanied by flash floods hit the western and southern regions of Saudi Arabia, press reports said yesterday.
The districts of Um Al-Sulm and Muntazahat were the worst hit in Jeddah. Of the 10 killed in the city, four were children who died as an old building collapsed around them.
According to security sources, four others were killed by lightning strikes in Masfat, Saheefa and other districts. An Egyptian was killed in Nuzha district when a bakery collapsed over him. The tenth person, an Indian, died in hospital yesterday of injuries he sustained during the rainstorm.
In the southern Asir region, flash floods claimed the lives of 28 people including 10 members of a single family and a five-year-old child.
The Jeddah Municipality apologized to the public for the inconvenience caused by flooding, as most of the city’s roads and streets were inundated by water, hampering traffic. As many as 148 road accidents took place in Jeddah.
In a statement, the municipality said it would only strengthen its resolve to speed up implementation of the ongoing drainage project, which covers 44 percent of the city.
Mayor Adel Faqeeh closely followed efforts to remove floodwater from streets and major intersections. The municipality had deployed 25 teams with necessary equipment to pump water from streets.
Hailstorms accompanied by strong, 60 km/h winds knocked down several buildings, power lines and billboards in Jeddah.
Hailstones 20 mm in diameter dented metal structures, caused septic tanks to overflow and carried away debris from building sites.
Flash floods also claimed the lives of two people in Taif and one in Jizan. Many herds of cattle reportedly were killed in Asir and Jizan as a result of flash flooding.
Heavy rains were reported yesterday in Makkah, Najran, Tabuk and Riyadh regions. In Najran, Khalediya, Darb, Saqam and Suyool townships were flooded as a result rains. There were downpours in parts of Jeddah, Kharma and Turba in the Makkah region.
Civil defense officers rescued at least 10 people stranded by flooding in Makkah city on Thursday. Col. Jameel Arbaeen, director of the department in Makkah, said no deaths were reported in the city.
In nearby Taif, civil defense rescue workers saved the lives of more than 30 people. Power outages were reported in many parts of the city. A civil defense helicopter rescued a 65-year-old man and his three sons who were surrounded by the rising waters in a valley about 130 km away from Taif.
The government has ordered relief supplies including tents, foodstuff and blankets for 45 families left homeless by floods in Taif. Civil defense officers were expected to distribute the supplies among the victims yesterday.
The civil defense warned the public to be cautious about flash floods during heavy rains and urged them to take necessary precautions while traveling on long routes.
