SANAA: At least 20 people died and dozens were missing after floods from heavy rains hit two provinces in southeastern Yemen, officials said yesterday.
The officials told Arab News that 18 people died and 400 homes were destroyed in Hadhramout province, some 900 km from the capital Sanaa. In the neighboring Al-Mahra province, on the border with Oman, two people were killed, they said.
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh declared Hadhramout a disaster zone. Hadhramout Gov. Salem Al-Khanbashi told the state radio that casualties were reported from different areas of the province. “A number of deaths were reported, but no precise figures are available so far,” Al-Khanbashi said.
He said authorities received reports about bodies floating in streams swelled by heavy rains that have continued since Thursday morning.
Saleh also flew to Mukalla, the provincial capital of Hadhramout, to oversee the relief and rescue operations.
A government committee set up to coordinate rescue efforts has declared Hadhramout and Al-Mahra disaster zones, the agency said.
Among the affected areas were two historical towns: Tarim and Shibam.
