Heavy rain floods Qatar roads

November 25, 2015

Doha, Nov 25: Many motorists in Qatar have spent the morning literally wading through traffic as continuous rainfall has led to heavy flooding on the roads. And then many parents ended up returning to schools to pick up their children after widespread flooding and leakages were reported.

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In addition to school closures, the precipitation has caused flight delays and also permeated hotel and malls.

Traffic notwithstanding, some residents have taken advantage of the unusual weather and are having some fun.

Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar has also closed for the day, telling its community that the current forecast is calling for “significant rainfall between 1-3pm.”

Criticism about how authorities have been handling the rain is already being raised.

Speaking to Doha News, Al Sharq journalist Ahmed Al Mohannadi, said that the capital has turned into a “lake,” adding that heavy rain shouldn’t paralyze the country.

He said although Qatar has new buildings and the MET can predict weather changes beforehand, it still continues to make the same mistakes with regards to construction and its drainage systems, and not having enough equipped emergency squads to deal with the heavy rain.

He added that no one was being held accountable for this problem. “We don’t learn from our previous mistakes,” he said. He also called on SEC to suspend schools tomorrow as well, to prevent any surprises.

The rain is starting to taper off in many parts of Doha, but traffic gridlock remains, in part because parents are attempting to pick up their children up from school.

The Ministry of Interior is advising anyone who needs emergency assistance to call 999 for help.

Hyatt Plaza is closed due to flooding. A receptionist told Doha News that it may reopen later in the day.

Several nurseries will be closing early today, including Starfish Lanes.

The Supreme Education Council has closed independent schools early, in phases based on the grades of the students.

The International School of London is closing at 11am. In Education City, at least one school is also shutting due to the weather,

Compass International School, Madinat Khalifa has also closed early, citing in an email to parents “issues with flooding, electricity supply issues and there is still the concern of continual heavy rain at pick up time.”

Hamad Hospital is operating normally, but is canceling all appointments at its Bone and Joint Center “due to operational issues related to the inclement weather.

All patients affected will be contacted by our patient contact center and their appointments rescheduled at a clinically appropriate time,” HMC told Doha News in a statement.

The US Embassy in Doha has closed due to “inclement weather.

Speaking to Doha News, the manager of Dar Al Salam mall also said it would be closing temporarily this morning, as water from the road has flowed into the basement and flooded the mall.

According to residents on social media, flooding was widespread across Doha, including in Mesaieed, Al Wabb, on the Corniche, near Civil Defense roundabout and Bin Omran, as well as several parts of West Bay.

The rainfall has also caused several school closures, including Doha College – Al Waab (which was flooded) and West Bay campus, Doha English Speaking School (DESS) and the American School of Doha (ASD) “due to unsafe weather conditions.”

Flights
Flights at Hamad International Airport also appear to be delayed, but it is unclear if that is due to flooding or the lightning.

According to FlightRadar, several planes appeared to be circling HIA, unable to land. A few had delayed departures, but planes could be seen taking off by 8am this morning.

Meanwhile, residents are also reporting flooding and leaks in their homes and at hotels.

Forecast
According to the Qatar Meteorology Department (MET), the country will see heavy rain and thunderstorms today, weather that will likely continue tomorrow.

Motorists should also keep in mind that hazard lights are not to be used during rainy weather, unless the vehicle is actually stopped for an emergency.

For its part, the Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning has been working to pump out extra water from flood roads, and reminds people to call these numbers for help.

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Agencies
May 28,2020

Sharjah, May 28: The Ministry of Interior has warned the public against visiting wadis during bad weather conditions, including rainy seasons, to avoid the risk of getting caught in flash floods that could endanger their lives.

A video posted on its official Instagram account depicted several such incidents involving cars being swept away by floods.

The warning comes after four people were found dead this week in Sharjah's Wadi Al Helo, an area hit by floods during heavy rains that lashed the emirate, authorities said.

The National Search and Rescue Centre (NSRC) found the bodies as it conducted an operation to look for seven people who were reported missing amid the unstable weather conditions.

In a separate incident yesterday, 20 passengers of a bus that got stuck in Wadi Hatta's Umm Al Nosor area in Dubai were also rescued by police after their vehicle was swept away by floods.

The ministry urged the public to follow the directives issued for their own safety.

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News Network
April 20,2020

Apr 20: Eight Indians, including two engineers, have died due to the novel coronavirus in Saudi Arabia, according to a media report on Sunday.

Mohammed Aslam Khan, an electrical engineer in Makkah, and Azmatullah Khan, an engineer at the Makkah Haram power station, have died due to the COVID-19, Saudi Gazette reported.

Aslam Khan, aged 51, who hailed from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, was admitted to King Faisal Hospital, Makkah on April 3, following worsening of his condition after being infected with fever and throat pain.

He had been on ventilator for more than two weeks and breathed his last on Saturday night, the paper said.

Khan is survived by wife and a daughter and a son. His wife and children are under self-imposed home quarantine.

Azmatullah Khan, from Telangana, died of coronavirus on Friday.

Mujeeb Pukkottoor, a prominent Indian social worker and general secretary of Makkah chapter of Kerala Muslim Cultural Center, told the paper that the body of Khan was buried in Makkah on Sunday.

Khan, aged 65, had been working with Saudi Binladin Group for the last 32 years.

Fakre Alam, an employee at the Haram Project of Saudi Binladin Group in Makkah, died on Sunday due to infection, the paper said.

Barkt Ali Abdullatif Fakir, an electrical technician working in Medina, also died of coronavirus, it said.

According to the Saudi Ministry of Health’s daily report published on April 14, the number of coronavirus infected cases among workers of Saudi Binladin Group in various parts of the Kingdom stood at 117, and these included 70 cases in Makkah.

The first two Indian fatalities were reported from Medina and Riyadh earlier this month with the death of Shebnaz Pala Kandiyil (29) and Safvan Nadamal (41), both from Kerala.

Mohammed Sadiq, from Hyderabad, working in Jeddah and Suleman Sayyid Junaid (Maharashtra) are other Indians who died due to COVID-19 in the Gulf kingdom, the paper said.

Shebnaz from Panoor in Kannoor district died on April 3 and his body was buried in Medina on April 7. He came back to the Kingdom March 3 after his marriage in January.

Safvan, a taxi driver from Chemmad in Malappuram district, died on April 2 and was buried in Riyadh on April 8.

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News Network
July 18,2020

Dubai, July 18: An NRI student who passed away in Dubai shortly after shortly after attempting his Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Grade 12 papers in March, has scored an impressive 91.4 per cent on his board examinations, including 100 in his media studies paper.

Ahmed Ziyad, a student of GEMS Our Own Indian School in Al Qouz, Dubai, died on March 19, suffered a heart condition called Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) that stopped him from being active in sporting activities.

Ziyad's parents, teachers, and classmates remember him as a very ambitious pupil, who wanted to launch his own business and achieve great things in his life. His board results are - mass media studies 100, Marketing 97, English 84, Entrepreneurship 82, and Home Science 94.
 
Ziyad's father, Shanavaz Manangath, a real estate professional who has been a resident of Dubai for over two decades said, "Six months ago, he had collapsed while playing with his friends. Since there was an irregularity in his heartbeat, he could not take part in any strenuous activities." He added, "Ziyad had just started playing with his friends on March 19 when he suddenly collapsed and died shortly after. My family has not been able to overcome his loss."

Unable to hold back his tears, an emotional Manangath said Ziyad wanted to do his BBA and launch his own business, "He was very ambitious. Honestly, I haven't looked into his board exam results, but, I know he had studied very hard for the exams."

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