Dubai Airport, the world’s second busiest, was paralyzed on Tuesday after torrential rain and heavy flooding caused chaos on the runways and across the city.
All operations were suspended for 25 minutes in the afternoon and incoming flights were diverted due to the intense storm, an airport spokesperson said.
A total of 21 outbound and 24 return flights were canceled, and 3 flights were diverted, according to the latest update published Tuesday around 5 p.m. local time.
Videos posted on social media showed lapping water covering the tarmac and turning Dubai airport’s runway into a river rather than a safe landing strip.
In one article, a Boeing 737 operated by Flydubai can be seen struggling in high water,
All airport arrivals were suspended Tuesday evening
Passengers affected by the travel chaos found themselves stranded at the airport as sections of surrounding roads remained impassable due to high floodwaters.
Passengers wait for their flight at Dubai International Airport on Tuesday. AFP/Getty
“It is difficult for departing guests to reach the airport and for arriving guests to leave the terminals due to significant flooding and road blockages that have limited transportation options for arriving guests and departing,” the airport said in a statement released Tuesday morning.
A couple at the airport said the situation was “absolute carnage”.
“You can’t take a taxi. There are people sleeping in the subway station. There are people sleeping at the airport,” they told an AP reporter.
Motorists drive through a flooded street following heavy rain in Dubai. GIUSEPPE CACACE/Getty
Dubai International Airport, recently named the second busiest in the world, was still advising passengers to stay away on Wednesday morning.
“We do not recommend coming to the airport unless absolutely necessary. Flights continue to be delayed and diverted,” the airport said. posted on.
Dubai, the Middle East’s financial hub, was paralyzed by rains, with schools closed and many people abandoning their vehicles in the streets as flash floods inundated the city.
The Dubai Media Office said the flooding was caused by the heaviest downpour the UAE had seen since records began in 1949.
Floods also hit neighboring Bahrain and Oman over the weekend. In Oman, nine schoolchildren and their driver died on Sunday when their vehicle was swept away by floodwaters, Al Jazeera reported.
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