World

Child killed in Oman as Cyclone Shaheen approaches sultanate

By Associated Press

The Severe Cyclonic Storm ‘Shaheen’ over Gulf of Oman & adjoining northwest Arabian Sea, lay centred at 1130 hrs IST Sunday near 24.1°N/58.6°E, about 60 km northeast of Muscat (Oman).It is very likely to cross Oman coast around 57°E, during early hours of 4th October, as a Severe Cyclonic Storm. Courtesy: India Meteorological Department/Twitter

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, October 3

A cyclone approached the coast of Oman on Sunday, lashing the sultanate with high winds and rain as a child was killed in floodwaters.

India's Meteorological Department forecast that Cyclone Shaheen would make landfall in Oman from the Arabian Sea sometime Sunday night. It estimated the cyclone would pack wind gusts up to 110 kph (68 mph) as it approached Muscat, the country's capital, where some people were ordered to evacuate their homes.

Forecasters said the storm would weaken sharply after landfall.

The state-run Oman News Agency said a child died in floodwater and another person was missing. Flights had stopped across the sultanate, which sits on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula.

The neighboring United Arab Emirates also warned those on its eastern reaches to be prepared for the storm.