MUSCAT: A powerful cyclone lashed southern Oman early this morning, killing at least one person.
Cyclone Mekunu hit the port city of Salalah after wreaking havoc on the Yemeni island of Socotra, killing five people with another 19 missing.
The centre of the cyclone struck west of Salalah, the second largest city in Oman, accompanied with strong winds of more than 170kmph, torrential rains and high tides of about 40 feet.
“Latest observations show that the centre of the cyclone hit the coast of Dhofar province,” west of Salalah, the main city in the province, Oman’s directorate general of meteorology said.
State-run Oman Television showed footage of large areas covered with floods in Dhofar and the nearby Al-Wusta provinces.
Dozens of vehicles were seen submerged in several areas.
Head of the directorate Abdullah Al Khoduri told Oman TV that the cyclone, which intensified to category 2 early yesterday, was downgraded to category 1 after losing some of its strength.
He said it would weaken further this morning into a tropical storm and gradually diminish into a tropical depression before hitting the southern parts of Saudi Arabia.
The cyclone also hit areas in southeast Yemen neighbouring Oman.
Thousands of residents near the coastal areas in the two provinces have been evacuated to safer shelters.
Civil defence authorities said they had set up 65 shelter centres in the two affected provinces.
Police said a 12-year old girl died when a gust of wind sent her smashing into a wall. Three Asians who were wounded by the cyclone were rescued.
Police also said that civil defence teams had rescued dozens of people who were trapped because of floods.
Civil defence said it had evacuated 10,000 people from schools and government buildings, mainly in the city of Salalah which has a population of 200,000.
Salalah airport has been closed until midnight tonight. Exams have been postponed.
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