In Iran, flash floods caused by Gonu have killed 12 people, injured nine and trapped 40,000 others in southeastern Iran, news reports said Saturday.
"Based on the latest information gathered, 12 people were killed as the result of floods in Hormozgan and Sistan-Baluchestan provinces," the head of Iran's emergency services, Farzad Panahi, was quoted as saying by the semi official Mehr news agency.
He added that more than 3,000 livestock had perished in the southern port town of Jask in Hormozgan province.
The Fars news agency, meanwhile, quoted another official as saying that a total of "40,000 villagers are trapped by water in Hormozgan province." Helicopters have been dispatched to the affected areas, the official said.
Oman was lashed by driving rain and heavy winds on Wednesday as thousands of people were evacuated in the face of the storm. Television broadcast footage of overturned cars and flooded roads on the battered east coast, and a police spokesman said officers even had to use jet skis in some areas of the seaside capital.
As the sunshine returned to the normally dry sultanate on Thursday, residents ventured into the open to find trees and road signs uprooted and debris washed up along the shore.
Although the storm had raised fears about oil shipments in the Strait of Hormuz, through which about one quarter of the world's crude supplies pass, officials said shipping had not been affected.
Muscat airport, which was closed by the storm, reopened on Friday, flagcarrier Omanair said.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, meanwhile, has telephoned his Omani counterpart, Yussef bin Alawi bin Abdullah Friday, to express sympathy for those affected and to offer help, Iranian state television said Friday.
"(Iran) is ready to offer any kind of aid and assistance to those hurt by the cyclone and the victims' families," Mottaki said.
Mottaki's offer of support comes a day after Saudi King Abdullah pledged to provide any necessary assistance to Oman and extended his condolences to the Omani people. |
