As many as 28 Indian flights, including 15 Dubai-bound and 13 India bound, have been canceled due to Dubai floods caused by heavy rainfall in the United Arab Emirates. Dubai's flagship carrier, Emirates Airlines, has stopped all check-ins for the day.
Emirates, in an official statement, said that the airline is trying to restore the scheduled flight operations and the teams will provide all possible assistance to affected customers.
Dubai International Airport also reported disruptions in flight operations as a result of the heavy rains that affected flight crews and delayed or diverted planes.
Dubai floods: What we know so far
1) At least one person has been killed after a torrential downpour hit the United Arab Emirates yesterday. According to the national meteorology centre, Dubai witnessed a record rainfall with 254 mm in less than 24 hours on Tuesday. Meanwhile, 19 people died in neighboring Oman including school children due to floods.
2) The rainfall started on Monday evening, drenching Dubai's roads and beaches with about 20 millimeters (0.79 inches) of rain. On Tuesday around 9 am (local time), the storms picked up strength and continued to pour more rain and hail on the already overburdened metropolis.
3) The UAE closed most of its schools ahead of the storm, and most government workers worked from home. Even though some workers went outside, many chose to stay inside their cars, with the unlucky ones stalling their cars in an unexpectedly deep water that was covering some roads.
4) Authorities sent tanker trucks out into the streets and highways to pump away the water. Water poured into some homes, forcing people to bail out their houses.
5) Passengers on FlyDubai, Emirates' low-cost sister airline, also faced disruptions. “It remains an incredibly challenging time. In living memory, I don’t think anyone has ever seen conditions like it,” said Paul Griffiths, the airport's CEO.
(With inputs from agencies)
