S. Arabia Nets Climate Change Q3 Dividends
Posted by feww on November 27, 2009
Saudi Flood Death Toll Tops 88
Saudi Arabia collects at least 88 dead in oil induced climate change Q3 profits
At least 88 people have died in the heaviest flooding to hit Saudi Arabia in in living memory.
As Muslim pilgrims were casting stones at three concrete walls representing the devil on the third day of the annual hajj, torrential rains inundated the port city of Jeddah, where 80 mm of rain fell in just a few hours, forcing the closure of the main highway to Mecca, and stranding thousands of pilgrims on their way to the Muslims’ holy city.
[The pilgrims efforts might have been more meaningful had they cast their stones at a mock-up of an oil rig, a giant oil drum and effigy of an oil supertanker.]
Most of the deaths reportedly occurred in the shantytowns around Jeddah and along the main highway to Mecca, an area populated by poor immigrants who provide cheap labor and domestic help to the wealthy Saudis.
Most of the victims died from drowning, and a few others killed by mudslide, collapsing houses, falling bridges and in car collisions. About 1,000 others were rescued after being stranded in the floodwaters, the authorities said.
Streets of Jeddah flooded after 88mm of rain fell in just a few hours. Photo: AP. Image may be subject to copyright.
Jeddah Under Water. Source: SahilOnlie. Image may be subject to copyright.
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feww said
Outraged Saudis blast govt after deadly Jeddah flood
By Paul Handley (AFP) – 18 hours ago
RIYADH — A Saudi lawyer said on Saturday he will sue the city of Jeddah, as thousands took to Facebook to blast authorities in a rare burst of open outrage after floods killed more than 100 people in the Red Sea port.
The toll jumped to 103 from Wednesday’s floods after authorities discovered more bodies, Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya television reported late Saturday.
Human rights lawyer Walid Abu al-Kheir said families of victims of the disaster were supporting the lawsuit, which will allege massive mismanagement of city works construction by the Jeddah government as a key cause for the flooding.
“They didn’t make the drainage work. They have told us for three years or more that it has been completed,” he said. “Even people from the city government said there were mistakes.”
Waleed said he planned to file his lawsuit next Saturday, when government offices and courts reopen after the two-week Eid al-Adha holiday.
A huge rainstorm sparked the flash floods, with many victims caught in their cars and drowning in two metres (6.5 feet) or more of water.
Roads were destroyed and cars and trucks left in piles after the waters receded on Thursday.
Electricity is still out in some of the worst hit parts of the city, the country’s second largest after Riyadh.
With public protests banned in Saudi Arabia, Jeddah residents have taken to the Internet to attack the government.
More than 11,000 people joined a Facebook page created three days ago to complain about the floods, saying the city government and contractors were at fault for not building adequate infrastructure.
“We’ve been talking about this issue for years. Everybody knew this disaster was coming. We’ve seen something like this on a smaller scale,” Saud Kateb, a media technology professor and one of the Internet protesters, told AFP.
“There’s only one reason: it’s corruption,” he said. “The government is putting a lot of budget into this, and the budget just disappears.”
Many posters to the Facebook page “Popular Campaign to Save the City of Jeddah” called for officials to be tried or at least be fired, although few were willing to name names.
“In Saudi Arabia, it is very difficult to point your finger in certain ways,” said Kateb.
He said many Jeddah residents were outraged as well that the official state news agency SPA had reported after the storm that Jeddah residents appreciated the rain and the city’s infrastructure was working well to handle the water.
“SPA wrote something unbelievable,” Kateb said.
After complaints were made to his own popular Facebook page, Information Minister Aziz Khoja subsequently criticised the agency as being insensitive to the victims.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.
Other links:
Jeddah flood toll 106
JEDDAH: The death toll from Wednesday’s flash floods here has climbed to 106, Civil Defense officials said on Saturday. More bodies are expected to be recovered as cleanup efforts continue with rescue and recovery teams assisted by helicopters. ….
Saudi Facebook group vents anger over flood
JEDDAH: Following Wednesday’s devastating floods in Jeddah, which left a trail of death and destruction, there is growing anger among residents at the state of the city’s infrastructure.
Some are even threatening to sue the municipality for damages, claiming the flash flooding was a direct result of municipal negligence. …
Bilal said
we should appreciate to govt agencies who took the part in rescue operations. the heavy rains effects the whole inferastructure in effected areas. we suggest to responsibiles till the resume the normaol traffic operations perticularly from jed to Mak kindly provide traffic route,to avoide the traffic rush in one place. thnx