UAE | Environment

One person dead after boat overturns in rough weather

Numerous traffic accidents reported across UAE due to heavy rain on Sunday.

  • By Aftab Kazmi Bureau Chief and Mariam M. Al Serkal, Nasouh Nazal and Fuad Ali, Staff Reporters
  • Published: 22:24 January 13, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • Pedestrians coped with the rain as best as they could in Mirdiff, Dubai. More wet weather is forecast for Monday. Fishermen have been warned against going out to sea.
  • Image Credit: Arshad Ali/Gulf News
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Abu Dhabi/Dubai/Ras Al Khaimah/Fujairah/Sharjah: One person died and another sustained serious injuries after the boat they were travelling in overturned off Abu Dhabi on Sunday.

The boat overturned because of strong winds and high waves, said Major Khalifa Al Shamsi, head of Abu Dhabi Marine Police.

He said such accidents increase in frequency from December to March every year, and urged the public not to go to sea before checking wind speeds and the height of waves.

He added that people must tell the marine police before they sail about their expected departure and arrival times, and take all precautions including taking safety jackets and means of communications.

A record number of cars involved in one accident was registered in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, when 22 cars collided in a pile-up in the area just before Al Mafraq Bridge. There were no injuries.

One person was killed and five injured in other road accidents in the capital on Sunday, which were caused by the weather conditions, rain, flooding on the roads and poor visibility.

Cloudy weather with rain persisted all over the country yesterday and will continue today, said weathermen. Fresh winds will bring the temperature down gradually, said a National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology spokesperson.

Rough seas

There will be south easterly and north easterly winds of 8 to 15 knots in general which may reach 22 knots at times. Fishermen have been warned of rough seas in the Arabian Gulf. A total of 155 road accidents were reported in Ras Al Khaimah over the weekend where three people were pronounced dead and 13 sustained serious injuries.

Police and medical sources said the main reason cause was the heavy rain. Fishermen in Fujairah have expressed their frustration at not being able to go out to sea, for the second day running, due to instructions by the Coast Guards citing bad weather.

The lack of fresh fish was apparent in Fujairah's fish market yesterday.

Eager fishermen gathering at Fujairah fishing harbour yesterday morning told Gulf News they appreciated the safety-first position of the coastguards but it is they who should have the last say on whether to go fishing or not.

More than 700 accidents took place in Sharjah during the weekend. Two people were admitted to hospital.

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