Ras Al Khaimah: A housemaid died in a wall collapse, while police have stepped up efforts to find a driver who was swept away by flashfloods in Wadi Sha’am area in Ras Al Khaimah on Saturday.
The African maid was working in a house located close to an overflowing valley in the Al Fahalin area.
About 120 families stranded by flash floods in were rescued on Saturday, the police said.
It was the second day of unstable weather that brought a rush of surface runoff from the peaks, causing fast-flowing torrents in wadis, and inundating houses and vehicles in some low-lying areas.
Police and rescue teams helped transport hundreds of people stuck overnight during the heavy downpour, using helicopters and ground rescue vehicles.
Major General Ali Abdullah Bin Alwan Al Nuaimi, Commander-in-Chief of Ras Al Khaimah Police and Head of the Emergency and Crisis Management Team, confirmed that about 120 families were rescued from mountains and valleys cut off by the flood waters.
Photos of flooded homes and schools in Ras Al Khaimah became a trending topic on Twitter as municipality workers were busy pumping water out of residential areas.
Major General Bin Alwan said as a result of the nature of the geographical terrain of the emirate there was some damage to homes of citizens near the overflowing valleys, and some vital roads.
Major General Ali Bin Alwan said “we are all ready for any emergency until the end of the unstable weather", and urged the public to contatct 999 for emergency cases or 901 for inquiries and non-emergency cases..
He appealed to the public that they should avoid roads leading to thevalleys or mountains, stressing that some roads leading to a number of peaks have been closed.
