Muscat, June 02: Authorities were evacuating the Omani island of Masirah on Wednesday over fears that Cyclone Phet might hit the country’s east coast on the Arabian Sea, a civil defence official said.
The official said civil defence units had been put on alert for the cyclone, which could hit by Thursday afternoon.
Oman Air and the country’s air force were evacuating the residents of Masirah.
Cyclone Phet was still more than 300 kilometres (186 miles) away from Masirah and moving at 10 kilometres (six miles) per hour, the weather authority said
But it said Phet was expected to veer towards the Indian and Pakistani coasts.
People in coastal areas have rushed to stock up on food and petrol, in fear of facing a cyclone similar to Gonu, which tore through Oman in 2007 killing at least 49 people and causing damage worth 3.9 billion dollars.
—Agencies