Cyclone kills three in Oman prompting evacuations, delayed flights

A tropical cyclone that ripped through Oman on Sunday killed three people and sparked evacuations and flight delays in the capital city Muscat.

A child who was swept away in the water from tropical cyclone Shaheen was found dead, Reuters reported, citing the state news agency. A hill reportedly collapsed on a housing area in an industrial zone, killing two Asian women.

When Shaheen reached land, the storm’s winds were between 120 and 150 km per hour, according to Omani authorities cited by Reuters. It was also creating waves of up to 10 meters.

Omani broadcasters captured scenes of vehicles under muddy water as individuals made efforts to trudge through the flooding.

The state news agency said that a portion of the storm’s eyewall, where the most drastic conditions occur, touched Al Batinah Southern governorate, in addition to hitting in the middle of the states of Mussanah and Suwaiq, according to Reuters.

Once Shaheen made its way on land, it was downgraded to a tropical storm.

The national emergency committee announced that power would be turned off in al-Qurn, which is located east of Muscat, in an effort to avoid accidents, according to Reuters. More than 2,700 people reportedly sought out space in emergency shelters.

Roads in Muscat, where the majority of Oman’s five million people reside, were closed off except for vehicles connected to emergency and humanitarian trips, the news wire reported, citing authorities. They will reportedly be reopened as normal once the storm abates.

Officials in the United Arab Emirates said preventative measures were being put in place in response to the storm, according to Reuters. They said they were implementing safety patrols around beaches and valleys where serious rain was in the forecast.