Three people died in flash floods triggered by heavy rains which swept through Jeddah on Tuesday, leaving motorists stranded and forcing authorities to shut schools and universities in Saudi Arabia's second biggest city.
One person died of electrocution in Jeddah and three others in other places in Mecca region, according to a Saudi Gazette report. Out of the 29 emergency reports received by Jeddah Health Affairs, eight were related to electrocution and the rest traffic accidents.
The Civil Defence received 250 reports of short circuits, spokesman of the Civil Defence in Mecca Province Col Saeed Al Sarhan told the newspaper.
Dozens of people were plucked from vehicles engulfed by floodwaters, Saudi civil defence authorities said.
The Saudi Red Crescent Authority in Medina reported 17 cases of people slipping and falling near the Prophet's Mosque in Medina and in the Central Area.
Video: #Floods paralyse #Saudi city of #Jeddah, three killedhttps://t.co/HrfN8e3asU pic.twitter.com/Nq468x5GWV
— Khaleej Times (@khaleejtimes) November 22, 2017
A total of 481 stranded people were rescued in Mecca, Medina, Tabuk and Al Jouf. Ten families were evacuated and 41 vehicles towed away. In Taif, the municipality deployed 30 teams to deal with the hazards of rainfall and floods.
Meanwhile, more rainfall is expected in Jeddah, Mecca and Taif, the General Authority of Meteorology & Environmental Protection announced on Tuesday.
Local residents posted videos on social media, with one showing a convoy of official cars wading through a road which resembled a lake.
With fears of more rain, which also affected other regions of western Saudi Arabia, the education department announced that Jeddah schools will remain shut for the safety of students.