Flouting safety norms proving costly on beaches and wadis

Muscat: Despite the warnings by the Royal Oman Police and the Civil Defence and Ambulance Authority (CDAA) regarding precautions while going to beaches or crossing wadis, people are flouting the norms and paying with their lives.

Just around the Eid Al Adha holidays, 14 people died and over 40 were injured during the heavy rains that lashed parts of Oman.
Recently, four children were swept away to sea at Al-Athaiba beach in the Muscat Governorate but were fortunately rescued by the CDAA teams. Two other citizens were less fortunate and drowned in Wadi Al-Himli in the Wilayat of Rustaq in South Al Batinah Governorate.

“The citizens were rescued and were being taken to the hospital, but they died en route,” the CDAA said in a statement.
Ian Philip, a safety expert based in Muscat, says the deaths and injuries were “unnecessary” and urged both the government and visitors to take necessary precautions.

“Building bridges where roads cross wadis is expensive but will cut down on some dangerous areas. Digging deep concrete channels and directing the wadi flow down these channels in high-risk areas will also help. It is also important to issue warning notices to tourists entering the country and the consequences of ignoring the advice,” Philip told Times of Oman.

He added that legislation against those ignoring warnings from authorities is also important. These notices should be affixed at each end of the wadi crossing.  He suggested water activated flashlight warnings on the roads for drivers asking them not to cross the affected areas.

“These deaths and grave injuries are all unnecessary. People need to use common sense during heavy rains that cause flooding in the wadis.

“They need to watch out the speed of the water currents that dig deep and create trenches in the ground.  In such instances, water travels up to 26 km per hour and water can rise up to seven meter high. That can drown the strongest swimmer,” Philip concluded.

The Public Authority for Civil Defence and Ambulance (PACDA) has issued numerous warnings to the public against venturing out in areas affected by heavy rains.   The Royal Oman Police (ROP) has also warned that people are liable to prison terms if they risk their lives while crossing or swimming in the wadis.

Not only Omanis and local residents lost their lives in the latest flooding. An Indian tourist based in Dubai died while trying to save his son and daughter in Rostaq. His two children too drowned leaving his wife to cope with the loss of her family members.