Saturday 21 / December / 2024
Muscat: Oman’s Director General of Planning for the Public Authority of Civil Aviation has asked people to avoid areas with stagnant water in the wake of Cyclone Mekunu, as these could be deceptively deep and lead to loss of life.
Hamed Al Barashdi warned that drilling and construction pits in Salalah and the surrounding areas of the Dhofar Governorate, which were often several metres deep, might not be visible to people as they could be submerged, following the rain and thunderstorms.
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Check the damage
“Thank God for safely seeing us through this,” he said.
“Some evils are inferior to others. Mekunu has passed peacefully, but it is still better to stay out of the rain.
There are some ponds and pools which require caution while going into, so let us leave the assessment to the competent authorities, who will check the damage and enable recoveries, especially in areas where there have been pools formed in the pits from drilling and construction work.”
Al Barashdi’s warning was similar to that of the National Committee for Civil Defence, which had drawn up emergency plans to weather the worst of Mekunu, and had posted first responders and evacuated people who would’ve been badly hit by the storm.
“We would like to warn people that there are some projects involving deep digging currently underway, which are filled with water as a result of Mekunu, so please be cautious and attentive to them,” the NCCD said. Oman’s Minister of Information Abdul Monim Al Hosni was also thankful that the worst of the storm had passed.
“Oman is ready to serve and care,” he said.
“We wait for the follow-up data of the Public Authority for Civil Aviation, and we are grateful to the National Committee for Civil Defence for their concrete efforts in helping the community. We will pass through this safely. We are all Oman.”
