TABUK — Heavy rains accompanied by strong winds since Sunday evening have brought life in the region to a standstill. Major thoroughfares have been inundated with rain water causing lot of problems to the motorists who were seen spending hours to reach their homes or workplaces. Authorities have ordered all schools in the region closed for two days in view of the incessant rains and clogging of water on main roads in the governorate. All schools will now reopen on Saturday. Prince Fahd Bin Sultan, Emir of Tabuk Region, has directed all authorities to exert all efforts for the safety of the citizens. They have also been directed to provide all possible assistance, including suitable accommodation, meals and heating for all those affected. Parts of the districts of Tabuk city were evacuated due to fears of more rains. Prince Fahd said except for the death of a baby boy who fell from his mother's hand when their car was stuck in Rawafah Valley, no casualties were reported from anywhere in the region. Tabuk University also suspended its activities on Tuesday and the College of Technology and all branches of the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) in the region have suspended classes on Tuesday and Wednesday. Meanwhile, Tabuk Region Civil Defense spokesman Col. Mamdooh Sulaiman Al-Enizi said helicopters were able to rescue 23 people from Damj District that was affected by floods from Al-Baqaar Valley. He said the number of stranded cases in the valleys and inundated areas reached 273. He said the committee for assessing the damages is continuing its work in enumerating all the families that have been evacuated. — SG/SPA
