Heavy rain flooded parts of Oman on Thursday, damaging properties and injuring dozens of people, state media reported.
Oman Television broadcast video of water-logged roads, damaged shops and partially submerged vehicles in the densely populated regions of Al Dakhliya and Al Batinah.
Oman’s meteorology office said more seasonal rains are expected in the next few days.
The floodwaters have dampened Eid spirits.
"I will not have much of an Eid this time because part of my house is damaged. My windows have been smashed by the strong winds. The front door is hanging on its hinges, my garden has been ripped and all my flower pots are broken. It will cost me hundreds of rials to repair everything," Khalifa Al Subhi, 66, from Nizwa in the Al Dakhliya region told The National.
Other Omanis said it was a “double blow” to their planned Eid celebration that has already been overcast by the lockdown extension.
“We had not even overcome the disappointment of having a lockdown during Eid and now we have heavy rains that have damaged our properties. What else is there left for us?,” said Hamed Al Badri, 47, from Saham in the Al Batinah region.
"This is going to be the worst Eid that I can remember, things cannot get any worse than this."
The flooding caused widespread power cuts, forcing some people to flee their homes.
More than 15 towns across three regions were affected by the power cuts and about 20 had to be evacuated, Oman Television reported.
Residents of Sohar said they were rescued by police helicopters on Wednesday evening.
“The wadis overflowed and my house was completed surrounded by water. I called the emergency numbers and the police evacuated me and my family to safety. We are now staying in my brother’s house until the flood is gone. I really hope we can go back in our house on the first day of Eid,” said Salah Al Breiki, 43.
Others said they were waiting for the power to come back on.
The ministry of electricity and water resources said most of the power cuts have been fixed, with remaining outages due to be restored before Friday morning.
“We have no power at the moment. We are waiting for them to reconnect the electricity. A few lamp posts were uprooted, causing complete darkness in the streets last night, " said Abdulrahman Al Harhy, 52, from Barka. "To make matters worse, my car is stuck in the mud and the roads are flooded with water. We cannot even go shopping for food at the moment,” he added.
Oman television reported that 55 people across the country were being treated in hospitals with injuries caused by rains and floods.
The country has imposed a 7pm to 4am night curfew from May 8 to May 15, replacing a 9pm to 4am lockdown to stop the spread of Covid-19.
The Sultanate on Thursday reported 12 deaths from the virus, the highest number of fatalities this week, with 772 new infections.
The total number of cases registered in Oman has now reached 199,344, including 2,083 deaths.
