Civil Defense rescues 41 families in Sanaa, reveals final death toll, damages of heavy rains

SANAA. Aug. 15 (YPA) – The Civil Defense Department at the Ministry of Interior in Sanaa  has recorded 68 death cases in separate incidents since the beginning of the rainy season.

Colonel Khaled al-Sharahi, director general of public relations and guidance for the department, confirmed in a special statement to the Yemen Press Agency that 461 houses were partially and completely destroyed , which resulted in the death of seven citizens and the injury of 15 others, in all provinces under the authority of the Supreme Political Council.

He noted that the Civil defence officers managed to rescue 41 families from houses in  the capital Sanaa

According to Colonel Al-Sharahi,the house collapses left seven deaths, 15 injured, 3 deaths recorded in 162 rock collapses on homes and public roads, in addition to six landslides, and five areas are under threat of  rock collapses.

Colonel Al-Sharahi said that 49 citizens drowned and nine others were washed away as a result of the torrential rains that have hit our country in the past few days.

He indicated that 126 different vehicles were drowned, and the Civil Defense managed to rescue 86 cars from the floods in Sanaa and Dam Naqum.

Al-Sharahi pointed out that the torrential rains led to the collapse of the Runah Dam in Hababa area of Thulla district of Amran province, which caused extensive damage, as well as the cracking of a number of water barriers, and the widespread destruction of main and secondary roads in various provinces.

The torrential rains washed away large areas of agricultural land, estimated at 56 km, and 36 heads of livestock.

The Director General of Public Relations and Guidance of the Civil Defense Department called on citizens not to be present or cross through flood corridors and estuaries during the rains.

He warned drivers and owners of vehicles and tankers to be very careful about rockslides on mountain roads.

E.M