Deadly flooding strikes South Yemen’s Aden killing at least 10

Reports

Wed, 22-04-2020 01:43 PM, Aden

Ali Mohammed| The National

At least 10 civilians died and dozens were injured when heavy flooding struck the port city of Aden in southern Yemen on Tuesday.

Dr Jamal Khadabakhish director of public health in Aden, told The National that the huge floods resulted in three deaths and 27 injuries among residents of Al Mualla district.

And four people from one family died as their house in Sirah district, in southern Aden, collapsed on them.

“There are many other casualties in the northern districts of Dar Saad and Al Sheikh Othman," Dr Khadabakhish said.
"Many were taken to the healthcare centres and the public hospitals in the city, while more than three civilians still missing.

“The floods surrounded thousands of families and caused huge damage to the residences, especially those that were built randomly near the flood ducts."

Water rushed through the streets for more than two hours, sweeping along hundreds of cars and burying them along the main roads in the Aden districts of Al Kalowaa, Crater and Al Mualla.

Power and water networks, which were already in a poor state, were completely cut out.
“We are homeless,” Umm Mohammed of Al Kalowaa told The National.

"The flooding damaged everything in our neighbourhood. As you see, the tarmac layer in our street was swept away and the water pipes were turned into a rubble.

The Yemeni Prime Minister, Maeen Saeed, declared Aden “a disaster city”.

Mr Saaed said the government would assess the damage and compensate losses endured by the city’s residents, the state news agency Saba reported.

He called on the National Emergencies Committee and international organisations in Yemen to urgently respond to the emergent state.

Meanwhile, the head of the Southern Transitional Council, Brig Aidarous Al Zubaidi, ordered the security forces in Aden to help rescue families locked indoors as the floods surrounded their homes.

Brig Al Zubaidi later ordered that a curfew, which was imposed in Aden as a part of precautionary measures to control the coronavirus pandemic, be lifted.

The deadly flooding is expected to continue until Wednesday.

Yemeni meteorologist Ali Batayseer forecast that a monsoon is going to hit Aden and nine Yemeni provinces, including the coast, on Tuesday and Wednesday.