Flash floods tear away roads and strong winds rip roofs off buildings in city of Salalah

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

A powerful cyclone has struck Oman and killed at least three people, among them a 12-year-old girl, officials have said.

Cyclone Mekunu caused flash flooding that tore away some roads and submerged others in Salalah, the country’s third-largest city, leaving drivers stranded. Strong winds knocked over street lights and ripped off roofs. The cyclone also struck neighbouring Yemen on Saturday.



Fast-moving waters from the rain and storm surges flooded normally dry creek beds. Tourist beaches were littered with debris and foam from the Arabian Sea.

Capt Tarek al-Shanfari of Royal Oman police said the 12-year-old girl had been hit in the head by a door torn off by the wind. An Asian person died in a flooded valley and an Omani national in a 4x4 was killed when his vehicle was swept away, Shanfari said.

Yemeni officials also reported damage in the east of the country along the border with Oman. Rageh Bakrit, the governor of al-Mahra province, said strong winds had destroyed houses and taken out communication lines and water services. He said there were no deaths in the province.



India’s meteorological department described the cyclone as “extremely severe”, with sustained winds of about 110mph (177km/h).

Parts of Salalah, a city of about 200,000 people, lost power as the cyclone made landfall.

The airport, which has been closed since Thursday, will reopen early on Sunday, Oman’s civil aviation authority said. Salalah’s port is a key gateway for the country.



Salalah and the surrounding area received nearly 11in (278mm) of rain, nearly three times its annual amount.