Many Killed by Gonu Cyclone
June 10th, 2007Oman’s official ONA news agency reported on Friday that Cyclone Gonu, which hit the Gulf sultanate this week before moving towards Iran, killed at least 49 people and left another 27 missing in Oman.
Oman was left devastated by the cyclone, which battered its coast for three days before moving up to the UAE and then Iran.
The cyclone halted Oman’s oil and gas exports and damaged main roads and bridges connecting the eastern provinces with the capital Muscat, and causing floods and landslides across all regions.
In Muscat’s centre, streets were turned into turbulent rivers, trees uprooted and power lines cut. Cars were left piled on top of each other, stuck in rubble and mud.
Oman’s weather centre, which has been keeping records since 1890, says Gonu could be the strongest storm to reach the coast since 1977.
“Based on the latest information gathered, 12 people were killed as the result of floods in Hormozgan and Sistan-Baluchestan provinces,” the head of Iran’s emergency services, Farzad Panahi, was quoted as saying by the semi official Mehr news agency.
About 70 percent of the residential houses in the southern port town of Jask in Hormozgan province have been damaged, he added.
The Fars news agency, meanwhile, quoted another official as saying that a total of “40,000 villagers are trapped by water in Hormozgan province.”
Loading ...
Loading...