Oman Flooding Tragedy

Flooding in Oman has killed at least 17 people, many of the schoolchildren, authorities said following the discovery of the bodies of a woman and child.

At least 17 people have died in flash floods triggered by heavy rain across Oman, the country’s National Committee for Emergency Management reports.

The sultanate's official news agency initially reported nine schoolchildren and three adults had "lost their lives after their vehicles got swept away in gushing wadi waters".

Five other individuals were reported missing in the floods that struck the northeast of the country.

The Oman News Agency reported the bodies of a woman and child had also been recovered.

The government suspended the work of employees and workers in the public and private sectors in five governorates, including Musandam, Al Buraimi, Al Dhahirah, and Al Dakhiliyah, due to the weather conditions.

The government has allowed employees to work remotely if possible.

Violent thunderstorms, heavy rain and strong winds have battered the country, causing flash floods in several regions in the north and east of Oman.

The sultanate's Council of Ministers said in a statement it was "filled with grief" and "extends its sincere condolences and sympathies to the families and relatives of school students who recently died in the Governorate of A'Sharqiyah".

The Ministry of Education shuttered schools in most regions as a precaution against the flooding which also resulted in the closure of five roads.

Dozens left stranded were rescued in operations aided by helicopters from Oman's air force.

Storms were expected to affect other Persian Gulf states, including Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, later in the day.

Moderate heavy rainfall is expected across north-eastern and northern Oman over the next few days.