Gulf | Oman
Muscat governorate worst affected by Gonu
Tropical cyclone Gonu, which hit Oman on June 6, caused maximum damage in Muscat governorate, according to a report released by official Oman News Agency on Sunday evening.
- By Sunil Vaidya, Bureau Chief
- Published: 00:18 July 17, 2007
- The ratio of total and partial damage stood at 86 per cent in Muscat Governorate and 12 per cent in the Sharqiyah (east) region.
- Image Credit: Hadrian Hernandez/Gulf News
Muscat: Tropical cyclone Gonu, which hit Oman on June 6, caused maximum damage in Muscat governorate, according to a report released by official Oman News Agency on Sunday evening.
"A team of surveyors from the Ministry of National Economy visited 59,000 houses in Muscat and the eastern region," said an official of the sub-committee tasked with surveying the areas damaged during the cyclone.
"The ratio of total and partial damage stood at 86 per cent in Muscat governorate and 12 per cent in the Sharqiyah [east] region," said a statement issued after the meeting of the committee set up by Sultan Qaboos Bin Saeed to survey and assess properties affected by Gonu.
Sayyid Ali Bin Hamoud Al Busaidy, Minister of the Diwan of the Royal Court, presided over the committee's fifth meeting on Sunday.
According to the committee's report, the number of houses and residential units affected by wadis stood at 10,684 in Muscat governorate, mostly in the wilayats of Seeb, Amerat and Qurayat. A total of 2,125 small enterprises out of the 5,674 surveyed in the wilayats of Muscat, Muttrah, Baushar, Seeb, Amerat, Qurayat, Sur, Bidbid, Barka, Dima, Al Tayyin and Jaalan Bani Bu Ali were damaged.
Fishing sector
The number of affected individual properties in different wilayats stood at 1,819, whereas the number of establishments and warehouses stood at 236 and 38 respectively. The number of establishments and other categories stood at 23. The initial survey results attributed the main reason of such damage to the wadis, especially in the wilayats of Baushar, Qurayat and Seeb (74.5 per cent).
Omani officials involved in the survey were not immediately available to comment further on the results of the survey.
Meanwhile, the committee has examined a report prepared in co-ordination with the ministry of agriculture and fisheries and the subcommittee on the damage inflicted on the fishing sector. The number of cases surveyed in the fishing sector stood at 1,386, including 279 in the governorate of Muscat, 87 in Musandam Governorate, 681 in the Batina region and 339 in the Sharqiyah region. The committee will offer financial aid to those sectors as per the rules and regulations, said a statement.
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