Naif Souq blaze

Dubai Civil Defense officials are continuing with the cooling operations in Naif Souq, one of Dubai’s oldest traditional souqs, that was gutted early this morning.
The early morning inferno reduced more than 100 shops in the Souq in to ashes, leaving hundreds of small-scale traders in a limbo. Civil defense officials said the fire was under control without elaborating the damages of the fire.

No casualties were reported in the fire.

The blaze caused panic in thickly populated Naïf area as thick smoke bellowed and enveloped the skies and flames started to spread around.

Eyewitnesses said the fire erupted about 1.45 in the morning and at least 100 shops selling garments, toys and perfumes were completely gutted. Hundreds of onlookers rushed to the scene; however, police cordoned off the area and controlled the mob. “Everybody is panicky in the vicinity. A pall of thick smoke spread in the area. Everybody was worried as the area is thickly populated,” said Abdul Rahman, an eyewitness. Source

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"I have never witnessed an accident of this scale before."

In the worst-ever multiple collisions in the history of the country, apparently caused by heavy fog and negligent driving, more than 200 vehicles, including 12 buses, rammed into each other on the Abu Dhabi-Dubai highway yesterday morning, resulting in four deaths and injuries to more than 350 people.
More than two dozen vehicles were totaly destroyed by fire caused by the impact of the collisions, according to police.
There were several smaller accidents along the highway at Al Rahba, Al Samha and Ghabaat Al Maha.

The accident caused a heavy traffic jam for several hours on the highway and the police had to divert the traffic to other routes. Colonel Othman Al Tamami, Director of Emergency and Safety Department in the Abu Dhabi Police, said the central operations room received information at 6.39am on the occurrence of traffic accidents where motor vehicles were involved in multiple collisions on the road extending from Al Bahiyya flyover up to the Ghantoot flyover in the exit direction towards Dubai.

Emergency, ambulance and rescue vehicles of Abu Dhabi Police and fire engines of the Civil Defence Department as well as two helicopters from the Abu Dhabi Police Air Wing and that of Dubai Police rushed to the scene of the accidents.

Squads from Armed Forces and a number of police patrols and other vehicles also rushed to the spots to lend a helping hand to other rescue teams, he said.

They immediately secured the safety of the injured people and extinguished the fires which broke out in a number of vehicles as a result of the string impact of collision, he said. The injured were taken to the nearest hospitals.

He said that until 2pm yesterday, three people had died and 317 people of different nationalities suffered injuries, of whom six were serious, 39 moderate and 272 were slightly hurt.

As many as 34 people who were hurt in the accidents were discharged after being given first aid.

Colonel Hamad Adeel Al Shamsi, Director of Traffic and Patrols Department, said rescue and evacuation of the injured were made within hours despite the obstacles. Evacuation and rescue of the injured took time due to the bad weather and the mess caused by 12 big buses that had rammed into each other.

Non-adherence to the rule of keeping safe distance between vehicles, traffic jams during the peak hours coupled with heavy fog that enveloped the area had contributed to the tragedy, he said.

Colonel Shamsi urged users of highways to take caution, especially in early morning, and keep sufficient and safe distance to avoid crashing into the rear of other cars. Source

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Abu Dhabi - Dubai highway horror!

Media in the United Arab Emirates reported four separate accidents, the largest involving more than 200 cars, on the highway connecting the cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
The biggest wreck began in the early morning near Ghantoot, about seven kilometers (4.5 miles) from Dubai. At least 25 cars burned among the 200 that piled up as the fog and high speeds made for a deadly mixture, police said.

Six people were killed, at least 200 were injured and dozens of vehicles burned Tuesday when hundreds of cars collided on a fog-shrouded Abu Dhabi - Dubai highway.
The accident resulted in a 20-kilometer (12-mile) traffic jam that lasted for several hours.

Smaller accidents accounted for up to 100 damaged vehicles, according to media reports.

Traffic accidents are a leading cause of death in the United Arab Emirates because drivers often travel at high speeds.

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Important telephone numbers in UAE

999, the emergency number in the country, is one of the busiest numbers in the country, naturally, but often for all the wrong reasons.

Many residents call 999 seeking a taxi or to find out the traffic situation. Hundreds of trivial and inane calls are made to 999 every day, hindering the work of police on emergency duty.

A staggering 573,471 calls were made to 999 in 2007 and these were not emergencies. Most were enquiries on speed limits on roads, location of certain departments, traffic fines, transactions related to the Naturalisation and Residency Department and complaints against taxi drivers.

Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim, Chief of Dubai Police, recently said: "Nobody knows the amount of effort that goes into answering calls on 999. Therefore, people should only call 999 in case of emergencies which require the immediate presence of security or rescue personnel," he said.

In an attempt to offer easy access to information, Gulf News has compiled some of the important telephone numbers in the country.

We have compiled some of the essential numbers, including traffic, transport and hospital numbers, which are in an easily downloadable PDF format. We will be adding to the list as and when we get and verify essential telephone numbers. Source

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Over 150 passengers stranded at airport

More than 170 passengers were stranded at Dubai International Airport's Terminal 2 yesterday because GMG Airlines' Dubai-Dhaka flight Z5092, had to return shortly after take-off on Saturday night due to a technical problem in the engine. The flight was expected to leave after a 30-hour delay at 3 o'clock this morning.

GMG Executive Director, Virendra Nautiyal told Khaleej Times yesterday that hotel accommodation could not be provided to all passengers for Saturday night as the flight, with 172 passengers, had been expected to leave the same night after repairs. However, hotel accomodation was provided yesterday around 6pm, only after we learnt that spare parts would have to be imported from Malaysia.

The passengers yesterday evening were moved to London Crown Hotel in Bur Dubai and Karama Hotel in Karama.

Nautiyal said more than 70 passengers had difficulty leaving the airport for hotel accommodation because their visas had expired or been cancelled because they had overstayed or were in jail and were being deported. The authorities, however, agreed to allow all, but 20 passengers, to leave the airport until their flight.

Sympathising with the stranded passengers, Nautiyal said, the 20-odd passengers were left behind at the airport only because of legal issues and the airline cannot take guarantee for such passengers to be checked into hotels.

“We are humans — we want to look after our passengers,” he said, urging the need for some accommodation facilities to be available at the airport under such circumstances.

Meanwhile, passengers yesterday complained of the flight delay and had not been taken care of by the airline.

"I have received shocking information about my daughter, who has met with a terrible mishap back in Dhaka. She is in a coma at the moment and I need to rush immediately. But I am stranded here since Saturday night. Moreover, no one from the airline company was available till late at night(Saturday) to give us firsthand information. This is really frustrating as I could have easily taken an Emirates flight to Dhaka," said an angry A.H, who works in government department in Dubai.

Another irate passenger Rafiqul Islam who works with Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) said, "The airline officials were nowhere to be seen on Saturday night. I tried searching for them to know the reasons for the delay, but in vain.”

Nautiyal claimed food and care was provided to the passengers and apologised for the inconvenience caused due to the delay.

He said spare parts required to rectify the technical fault were expected to arrive at Dubai International Airport at 9.45pm yesterday on a flight from Malaysia. After the repairs were completed, take-off was expected at about 3am Monday morning, he said, adding that the flight would also include passengers from the regular scheduled 9pm flight yesterday.

The corresponding Dhaka-Dubai flight, due to depart Dhaka in the afternoon yesterday, will have been delayed several hours by the time the flight arrives into Dubai today, the official said.

Meanwhile, another flight delay was reported at Dubai International Airport's Terminal 2 yesterday . The Pakistan-based Shaheen Airlines flight NL-737 (Dubai-Karachi), which departed on schedule at 6am yesterday, had to return immediately after take-off due to technical problems and has consequently been delayed. The passengers were lodged at Al Nahda Hotel and the flight was rescheduled to take off late yesterday evening. Source

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Garhoud Bridge will be closed tomorrow

A section of the road and bridge leading from Casablanca Road and Al Rebat Road towards Al Garhoud Bridge will be closed for motorists from tomorrow.

However, it has not been disclosed when the road will re-open for traffic

The announcement by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) yesterday urged motorists driving from Dubai International Airport to reach Shaikh Zayed Road and Bur Dubai to take Al Maktoum Bridge road, the Floating Bridge or the Business Bay Bridge instead of Al Garhoud Bridge.

Meanwhile, motorists will be able to drive through Al Garhoud Bridge towards Casablancaa Road (which leads to Dubai International Airport) and Al Rebat Road, which leads towards Festival City, Rashidiya and Al Ramool areas, but will not be able to use the same roads to come back to Al Garhoud Bridge. Source

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Sandstorm threatens Dubai weekend whiteout

A sandstorm may engulf Dubai on Thursday evening, bringing with it near gale-force winds and making driving conditions difficult for motorists, the met office warned on Wednesday.

Dubai Meteorological Office said wind speeds of up to 30 knots were expected to hit the UAE's west coast over the weekend, caused by a high-pressure system building over Saudi Arabia, and strong northwesterly winds blowing in from Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain.

A senior forecaster at the met office urged drivers to be careful on the roads, especially those in open inland areas particularly at risk from sandstorms.
High winds could also prevent aircraft from landing at Dubai International Airport due to poor visibility, the forecaster said.

He said construction workers were also at risk, and warned boats on the west coast not to go out over the weekend.

“Waves could reach up to 18 feet off the UAE coast; we may issue a marine warning [on Friday] to advise boats to stay off the water,” the forecaster told ArabianBusiness.com.

According to the met office, the temperature during the day in Dubai is not expected to pass 20 degrees Celsius on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and the night temperature is forecast to drop to 16 degrees Celsius.

The high winds are a result of the Shamal wind, a wave of high pressure that funnels through the Gulf between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

The winds can last three to 40 days and are thought to be the most hazardous weather condition in the region.

The sandstorm warning comes just as the UAE is recovering from three days of heavy rains earlier this month, causing widespread flooding that resulted in traffic chaos across much of the Emirates. Source

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Economic cost of inclement weather likely to be heavy

Government agencies and authorities in Dubai have yet to calculate the costs of this week's deluge of rain, but for some companies the costs will be incalculable.

"We were affected for two and half days," said Ani Ray, country director of Simplex Infrastructure, a contracting company working on a development in the Business Bay area of Dubai. "There was very bad access and, in some parts, no access at all," he said, "so we lost work days".

When asked to estimate the cost to the company of these lost work days he said: "It's 750 people so it's about 2,000 man days lost," adding that "most construction companies in Dubai" have been affected.

Other companies have also spoken of their difficulty in transporting workers from labour camps, especially from areas such as Al Quoz, which was badly affected by flooding.

The emirate's authorities will also have to include the cost of repairing roads, and any other infrastructure such as sewerage and drainage, damaged by flooding. There is also the economic cost associated with the 800 or more road accidents that occurred in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah during the four-day rainfall. Most schools, along with offices, shopping malls and other businesses also closed for two days.

Estimates of the economic cost of the deluge will take sometime to calculate but whether one figure will emerge is another matter. Neither Dubai, nor the UAE as a whole, has a method by which to measure the impact of bad weather on the economy. In Dubai, each department, such as the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) carries out its own calculations, an official explained to Khaleej Times.

The impact of the rain appears not to be all bad, however. Some hotels, for example, which are enjoying an occupancy rate averaging 86 per cent, saw occupancy rise higher.

"Our hotel was fully booked, and the rainy spell confined our guests to their rooms," said an official at the Shangri-La Hotel on Shaikh Zayed Road. As a consequence, the rain boosted the hotel's food and beverage business. Other hotels chose not to comment on the impact of the weather.

Ahmed Shaikhani, managing director of UAE developer, Memon Investments welcomed the rain and said that the weather forecast was encouraging investors and customers from all over the world to fly to the emirate. "The showers that the UAE experienced over the past few days have been welcome," he said, and "a lot of our customers and investors worldwide (have chosen) to fly down particularly after hearing the weather report."

He also said: "Our offices didn't experience any problems with employees reporting to work, though a bit delayed, there was 100 per cent attendance." But he added: "Construction sites had to be temporarily closed for two days or so, however we haven't had any losses to report as such."

The heavy rain arrived during the visit to the UAE of US President, George W Bush and the economic impact of that visit for the UAE economy has also to be calculated. Since the main topic of discussion was Iran's nuclear ambition, UAE businessmen were reluctant to comment, however, describing the issue as "highly political". Even the DCCI did not have any statement to make on the economic impact of Bush's visit, one of its main aims being to pressure banks to limit their links with Iran.

A Bahraini parliamentarian previously told Reuters that "there's only so much the US can do" because Iran is a major trading partner of the UAE and Bahrain. Jasem Ali, a member of parliament's finance and economic committee, said Bahrain's largest lender Ahli United Bank was being pressured to freeze the Iranian operations of its affiliate, Future Bank. Source

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Record rainfall in Dubai

A record rainfall for a January day in Dubai yesterday threw normal life out of gear in the emirate. While the rain led to widespread flooding across areas of Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman, partly submerging cars, disrupting traffic and forcing schools to close yesterday, five people were reported killed and many injured in separate road accidents in the emirates.

In all, more than 800 road accidents were reported in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi yesterday morning.

Airports, however, were functioning normally, with minor delays, the maximum of about an hour for some flights. But the traffic jams and waterlogged roads meant many passengers missed their flights and some were even forced to walk to the airport to catch the flights.

Fujairah reported landslides and rock falls although the impact on streets was limited. The emirate also experienced power outages for short periods.

For the third consecutive day, particularly for Dubai residents, life was thrown off gears. Residents of Sharjah, Ajman and other emirates braced through the incessant rainfall and waterlogged streets in the hope of safe shelters of their homes.

More than 105mm of rainfall -20mm higher than the January record- was recorded in Dubai from Monday evening to 6pm yesterday, according to the duty forecasters at the Dubai International Airport meteorological office. The average rainfall for January in Dubai is 17mm.

Sharjah, with 100mm rainfall, was one of the worst affected, where residents alleged weak rain contingency plans. Many woke up to find their cars submerged in rainwater.

Rainwater brought the Ittihad and Emirates Road virtually to a halt, with the traffic across Sharjah and Dubai going into a spin for the third day straight.

Hundreds of municipality workers across the UAE worked non-stop through the day pumping water out of the roads. The Dubai Municipality (DM) earmarked Rashidiya, Jumeirah, Umm Suqeim, Abu Hail and parts of Shaikh Zayed Road as the worst affected areas in the city.

Senior officials of DM said they would be extending their rainwater drainage system within a year in coordination with the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

While a limited number of houses, mainly in Ras Al Khaimah, were affected by the floods, labour camps in low lying areas were badly impacted.

A construction worker at the Sonapur labour camp in Jebel Ali said the camp was flooded, with residents desperately trying to patch up leaking roofs with plastic and deal with the flowing sewage as bathrooms backed up. “There is water all around. The conditions of the bathrooms are particularly messy with all the sewage water coming out of it,” he said.

Workers at other labour camps across Dubai too complained of similar experiences.

Many students were unable to reach their schools in the morning, causing high number of absentees, reportedly forcing Dubai and Sharjah schools and universities to close and send students home.

Meanwhile, some residents enjoyed the rain yesterday with Dubai and Sharjah students celebrating a day off and farmers grateful for the much-needed water. Fujairah dams recorded good water levels, including 1.5m at Al Bosira Dam and 2m at Al Rakbi Dam. This signalled relief for farmers who were earlier complaining about the dry month of December.

In Al Ain, mercury dipped to 14 degree Celsius, as the city experienced light to heavy showers in the past 36 hours since Sunday morning.

Heavy showers are expected to continue in Dubai and Sharjah until midday today when it would begin easing. Temperatures are expected to remain between 15 and 18 degrees Celsius.

Authorities have issued warning to residents against venturing out to the sea because of rough swells. Residents and tourists have been advised not to travel to mountainous areas, valleys or wadis because of the danger of flash flooding.

RAINFALL RECORDED ON TUESDAY

ABU DHABI

City: 21.2mm

Dhudna: 90.6mm

Falaj Al Moalla: 65.2mm

Ghantuat: 59.2mm

Jabal Mebreh: 58.2mm

Masafi: 64.1mm

Sir Bu Nair: 109.2mm

DUBAI

Airport: 105mm

SHARJAH

City: approx.100mm

FUJAIRAH

City: 1.8mm

Dhedhna: 46.2mm

Dibba: 44.2mm

RAS AL KHAIMAH

City: 35.2mm

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Dust storms across the UAE

Shamal winds, predicted to cause dust storms across the UAE by yesterday evening, are expected to strengthen this morning, reaching 28 knots over the sea, according to the country’s Met Office.

Abu Dhabi airport was closed for more than five hours yesterday morning due to thick fog caused by low temperature and humidity which also caused difficulties on the country’s roads.
A further drop in temperatures and poor visibility due to hazy/dusty conditions are predicted over the next 24 hours, the office said.
The Shamal wind is a wave of high pressure which funnels through the Gulf between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Winds can last three to 40 days, with unique characteristics that can potentially affect the tallest of buildings, according to experts.

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Public warns of weather’s mood swings

The Fujairah Police have issued a cautionary advisory informing residents and visitors about possible changes in weather on the UAE National Day and urged them to be careful when going to the beaches or picnicking in the desert or hilly areas.

The law-enforcement agencies here are on full alert to meet with any untoward situation, Fujairah Police Director-General Lt-Col. Mohammed Ahmed bin Ghanem said yesterday.
“I do call upon all visitors to be more cautious about weather changes. Should they need help or face any problem, they should not be hesitant, and immediately call the Operations Room on 999 or seek help from any police station or patrol,” Lt-Col. Bin Ghanem stated.
All the necessary procedures to ensure safety, stability and security during the celebrations have been undertaken and measures have also been taken to keep the flow of traffic smooth, he said.
The emirate mostly attracts hordes of visitors during the National Day holidays, he added. More security and traffic patrols have been pressed into service at tourists and heritage sites, particularly the Fujairah Corniche and Dibba, Lt-Col. Bin Ghanem said.
In Abu Dhabi, the Met office predicted that the National Day will be slightly warmer than normal and the skies will be partly clouded.
The temperature on the National Day is likely to rise by two to three degrees with the maximum being 32-34 degrees Celsius and the minimum 24-26 degrees.
As a result of powerful winds, the seas will remain rough till Saturday morning and fishermen have been advised to keep away, Met official Mohammed Ikram Quraishi said yesterday, adding that there is nothing to worry for beach-goers.
The north-westerly wind will blow at 8-14 knots in the plains from Friday till Monday, and 15-20 knots over the seas today, but on Saturday it will come down to 10-16 knots over the seas.
Source

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Cyclone Gonu turns into teethless low pressure

Tropical Cyclone Gonu has completely subsided into a mere low pressure system at 7 :00 am local time on Thursday, the Weather Forecast Centre announced. ''The cyclone has traveled far away from the UAE eastern parts as the movement of the depression centre were heading towards north and north eastern, the centre said, noting to the weakening of powerful winds on the Iran's southern coasts and Strait of Hormz. This, the centre added, will make a marked change in direction of winds affecting northern and eastern regions of the UAE to become northern and north westerly over the north and east parts of the country.According to the centre, these developments, will reduce the danger of wave height on the eastern coastal regions, thus curbing overflow of waves towards the coast. ''This will lead to an improvement in the weather condition,'' the centre affirmed. Winds will be SE to N reaching 15 to 25 KT over the north and east parts of the country as sea waves will remain rough in the depth off the eastern coastal areas. Wave height will be 2 to 3 meters onshore reducing remarkably to less than a meter offshore. Relatively active winds blowing on internal parts will wipe up sands and dusts which could affect visibility in some areas.There are also chances of rain on scattered areas in the north and east of the country. Source

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Wadi flood warning

The UAE Meteorological Department has warned residents to stay away from the wadis during the weekends because of the strong surface winds and thunderstorms.
Stormy weather is expected to hit the UAE on Wednesday - with heavy rain and high winds expected to reach Dubai in the evening.“We expect flash floods, particularly in Fujairah and parts of the northern emirates, due to the heavy rain on the mountains in Oman and the UAE,” said a senior meteorologist. He added that flash water can come into Wadis from the mountains located in Oman. The Met office said winds that be as high as 75kmph could hit parts of the emirates.

These winds have been generating high waves in the sea, making it a dangerous for most vessels.Fujairah has already been lashed by rain for the past 24 hours, causing flooding to major roads and high waves. Source

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Gonu Cyclone Update

Tropical Cyclone Gonu is showing signs of dissipation with pounding winds receding to between 100 to 120 kilometres an hour over the last few hours as compared to 260 kph yesterday.

According to an update from the Metreological Department in Abu Dhabi, Gonu is still packing huge winds some 20-40 kilometer off the Eastern coast of Oman. Current satellite images captured every 15 minutes show that the cyclone is advancing at a dissipating pace towards the north western coast of Oman and UAE's eastern coast. Cyclone Gonu , which had been churning northwest through the Indian Ocean, reached the Omani coastal areas and was dropping heavy rains, which have continue to prevail. Source

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State of emergency elevated at Fujairah, Eastern Region

UAE Civil Defence forces have been put on alert to deal with any possible damage that may be inflicted by the tropical cyclone Gonu in case it hits the UAE coasts.

Civil Defence forces in Fujairah have been put on full alert to ensure that humanitarian services are provided to local residents in case the cycle hits the UAE coast.

Civil Defence has in place a federal catastrophe management plan that spells out the role of all federal and local organisations in combating the effects of natural disasters.

The public shooul be informed against going on sea or wandering near coasts, mountains and valleys and to ware of electricity hazards and disconnect electric supply to outdoor electric lights and signage and to refrain from using cellular phones in open areas during thunder storms.

The state of emergency at hospitals of Fujairah and the eastern region has been raised 25 per cent to deal with any emergencies that may be caused by the tropical cyclone Gonu.

Coastal areas of Fujiarah and the eastern region experienced an unusual surge in wave activities on Tuesday evening, pushing waves to as high as seven meters from two meters, and causing spillage of sea water onto lowlands.

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Get ready for cyclone Gonu

H.H Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has directed the competent authorities to take utmost care and caution in response to any emergency should the cyclonic storm Gonu reach the UAE shores especially in the eastern coasts.

In this respect, Sheikh Mohammed instructed Lt.General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Interior, to set up a taskforce of top health, civil defence and rescue and emergency officials under his presidency to closely follow up latest movements of the cyclone.Sheikh Mohammed also instructed Sheikh Saif to prepare field hospitals in coordination with the health ministry. Sheikh Mohammed instructed that necessary logistics and support be ready for dispatch to neighbour Oman should the cyclone arrive at its coast and its authorities appeal for assistance. Source

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