Civil Defense teams rescued 12 female teachers trapped in flash floods in a valley south of Makkah on Sunday.
Col. Saeed Sarhan, the department’s spokesman, said “The teachers were taken to a secure place before reuniting them with their relatives.” He said the rescue operation began after the department’s officers received a call from the teachers’ relatives.
“A helicopter survey located the women in the valley of Baida,” the spokesman said, adding that rescue teams from different units took part in the operation.
“Officers in the helicopter combed the region again to find out whether anybody was trapped in floodwater,” Sarhan said.
“We have made a plan to deal with rains and floods in the city by deploying personnel and equipment near flood-prone areas,” the spokesman said.
The department’s operations room received 416 calls for help since heavy rains ensued in the city. “We have taken out five cars that were swept away by flash floods and saved three people inside them,” he said.
The spokesman urged Saudis and expatriates to keep away from valleys at times of heavy rain for their own safety and security.
