By IANS
Dubai/New Delhi : At least one Indian is suspected to have been killed in a cyclone that has wreaked havoc in Oman, home to 386,000 Indians. The Indian mission and the ministry of external affairs (MEA) have set up control rooms to assist Indian nationals.
Twelve people were killed Wednesday when Cyclone Gonu battered Oman's coast with wind speed reaching up to 170 km per hour, waves of up to 12 metres and torrential rains, forcing thousands from their homes and shutting down oil installations. The capital Muscat has been turned into a lake.
While a relief official was quoted by state television as saying that at least 12 people have been confirmed killed, an Indian news channel reported that an Indian is among the dead.
Two control rooms have been set up – one at the Indian mission in Oman and the another at MEA in New Delhi to assist Indian nationals.
The Indian mission is in constant touch with the Omani authorities to ascertain the safety of the Indians in the country.
The telephone numbers of the Embassy Control Room are 00968-2481 3838 and 00968-2481 2936; the fax number is 00968-2481 1607.
The MEA control room numbers are phone: 011-2301 5300, fax: 011-2301 8158, a press release said. Both the control rooms will be manned round the clock.
The Non-Resident Keralites Affairs Department (Norka) has also set up a help-desk in Thiruvanthapuram to provide information on Keralites in Oman. The help-desk could be contacted on the following telephone numbers: 0471-2518182, 2518061 and 5518129.
Cyclone Gonu is the strongest tropical cyclone on record in the Arabian Sea, and is tied for the strongest tropical cyclone on record in the northern Indian Ocean.
Gonu weakened after encountering dry air and cooler waters, and late Tuesday it hit northeastern Oman, becoming the strongest tropical cyclone to hit the Arabian Peninsula. Intense cyclones like Gonu have been rare over the Arabian Sea, as most storms in this area tend to be small and dissipate quickly.