Defence teams still rescuing Saudi flood victims

Riyadh: Saudi Civil Defence teams say they are continuing to rescue victims stranded by recent torrential rains and floods in the Asir and Jazan regions in the south, and Taif, a summer resort in the west of the country.

More than 15 people have died and five others have been reported missing after the rains and flooding, while tens of others in villages across the region have been injured, authorities said.

One man told Gulf News how he watched in horror as two of four people struggling in the floodwaters were rescued, and the other two disappeared, likely drowned.

Electrocution risk

The Saudi authorities said they had also cut power to affected areas to prevent people from electrocuting themselves.

The Civil Defence said it had already rescued about 400 people stranded in the flooded villages.

Helicopters were also dropping parcels of food into the villages which were isolated by the floods.

However the Civil Defence said it had received emergency rescue calls from more than 1,900 people.

Eyewitnesses told Gulf News they had seen Civil Defence helicopters rescuing many people from the floods.

Saudi citizen Hamad Al Mousa said: "The floods hampered the movement between many villages".

He said he watched in horror as four people struggled in the flood. While the Civil Defence was able to save two of them, the other two did not come out, he said.

"The fast winds accompanying the rains uprooted many trees and destroyed signboards. Rocks fell on the roads, closing them," Al Mousa said.

The Civil Defence Authority said it had deployed more than 60 teams and field units which were continuing the rescue work.