Dubai: Heavy rains in the Gulf desert state
of the United Arab Emirates caused flooding, traffic jams, car
accidents and school closures on Tuesday, after four
weather-related deaths at the weekend.
Some residents of the emirate of Sharjah were trapped in
their homes by high waters, an agency photographer reported. Cars
were almost completely submerged on some roads.
Sharjah residents waded through the water with rolled-up
pants, while trucks looked like barges as they ploughed
through the flooded streets.
Gulf News reported on its website that a major
thoroughfare, the Dubai-Sharjah sector of the Emirates Road
bypass, was closed due to the flooding.
Traffic on Dubai's main Sheikh Zayed Road slowed to a
crawl, with several accidents sighted. Many secondary roads in
the city were flooded due to lack of drainage facilities.
Dubai's education ministry issued a statement calling for
schools to close today and tomorrow because of flooding fears,
said a Dubai school director. Some, but not all, schools in
Sharjah were closed.
There was no immediate report of fresh casualties, after
three people were killed on Saturday in Sharjah from being
electrocuted while standing in storm water.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, March 02, 2010, 19:06