DAMMAM, 12 February — Flights were disrupted and more than two dozen vehicles involved in accidents as heavy fog enveloped the Eastern Province yesterday.
Two Air-India flights scheduled to land at King Fahd International Airport here early yesterday were diverted to neighboring Bahrain. Poor visibility forced the control tower at KFIA to divert a flight coming from Bombay and scheduled to land in Dammam at 4.45 a.m. to Manama airport. It eventually returned to Dammam at 9 a.m. and later left for Cochin, three hours behind schedule.
Another Air-India flight coming from Trivandrum, scheduled to land here at 3 a.m., was also diverted to Manama. It also landed at KFIA around 9 a.m. However, passengers on the return leg had to face severe hardship, as the flight could not leave on schedule. The crew needed rest.
According to Air-India officials, the take-off was rescheduled for late night and the passengers had been accommodated at local hotels.
There were delays in other departures and arrivals at KFIA.
Meanwhile, more than 30 accidents caused by poor visibility due to heavy fog were reported on the Dammam-Khobar Highway, Red Crescent and Traffic Department officials said. There were no casualties. Although most motorists were driving with hazard lamps on, there was a virtual pile-up on the highway and the police had a tough time clearing the traffic.
There were traffic jams on the Jubail Highway as well, but no accidents were reported. The fog started clearing by 7 a.m. The Traffic Department advised motorists to drive with their headlights on and observe speed limits during fog.
“For the safety of drivers and their passengers, motorists should buckle up and avoid speeding. It is also recommended that they avoid lane changeover during heavy fog,” an official said.
