JEDDAH: Civil Defense teams in Tabuk rescued over 75 people stranded in a number of valleys across the region following heavy rains and floods on Monday.
Around 27 people were injured as a result of the rains, which caused schools to close and delayed commuters from reaching work. There were also power outages in several areas across the province.
Gen. Suleiman Al-Huwaiti, head of the Civil Defense in Tabuk, said heavy rains flooded all of the province’s valleys. “The Civil Defense rescued over 75 people and rescue operations are ongoing. The Civil Defense issued warnings on Sunday asking people to be careful. Many people did not take the warnings seriously. I wish people would take heed in the future,” he added.
Tabuk Gov. Prince Fahd bin Sultan is following up on rescue operations and has reviewed the emergency plans that are being implemented. Brig. Gen. Mamdouh Salman, official spokesman for the Tabuk Civil Defense, said there were heavy rains in Deba, Al-Bada and Haql at around midnight on Sunday and that it began to rain at 3 a.m. in Tabuk.
“Tabuk’s biggest valley, Wadi Dahkan, was flooded,” said Salman, adding that the valley cuts through Deba and an area where there are many farms and private enclosures.
“This resulted in many people, particularly farm workers, being stranded. 68 people were rescued from Wadi Dahkan and 27 people were admitted to Deba General Hospital,” he said.
The Civil Defense’s air rescue teams from Jeddah and Riyadh also participated in the rescue operations. Salman said Civil Defense teams had been deployed in dangerous areas as a precautionary measure. “Hospitals have been put on full alert to receive patients. All flood plains are clear of buildings and there are no barriers blocking the routes that flash floods usually take,” he said.
The Civil Defense was Monday working to rescue 20 people from the roofs of their homes in Tabuk and a family stranded in a car in Wadi Shgairi.
