Flooding in western Saudi Arabia forces schools to shut | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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Flooding in western Saudi Arabia forces schools to shut

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - Saudi authorities have closed schools and universities after flooding in the kingdom's second-largest city, Jiddah, and the country's Red Sea coastal regions.

Videos shared on Twitter and other social media sites on Tuesday show people stranded in tunnels and on roads with cars engulfed by floodwater.

Schools have also been closed in the areas of Mecca and Taif. Saudi Civil Defence warns that heavy rainfall is expected to last until at least Wednesday morning.

Flooding happens almost every year in Jiddah and other western cities in Saudi Arabia. The most devastating flood in recent years was in 2009, when more than 100 people died.

An anti-corruption committee led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman says a purge that began earlier this month is partly related to the 2009 Jiddah flooding.

News from © The Associated Press, 2017
The Associated Press

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