Riyadh, January 27: Heavy rains have caused floods in Saudi Arabia’s second largest city, Jeddah, cutting electricity and raising fears of a repeat of 2009 floods, which killed more than 120 people.
Following the torrential rainfall, the Red Sea port city was submerged rapidly on Wednesday with cars floating in streets now having turned into ‘rivers.’
Sewage from underground tanks overflowed and mixed with flood, causing a pungent odor in the air, Reuters reported.
Saudi authorities have asked residents to stay indoors. There is no immediate assessment of damages. The country’s civil defense officials have refused to comment on the issue.
The deadly floods in 2009 in Jeddah had triggered a rare public criticism over the weaknesses of the country’s infrastructure.
The oil-rich kingdom lacks the basic necessary systems and structures to drain water out of the residential areas during a heavy rainfall.
——–Agencies