OMAN, June 13, 2007 — The cyclone which killed 20 people in Oman last week caused extensive damage to a Bible Center opened less than two years ago and flooding to the family home of Ranjini Ganta, Oman Representative of the Bible Society in the Gulf.
In an e-mail sent early on June 7, Hrayr Jebejian, the General Secretary of the Bible Society in the Gulf, called on the fellowship of United Bible Societies to “remember our colleagues in Oman in your prayers at this difficult time.”
He said that the floods had cut off electricity, water and telephone lines. Streets in the Sultanate were under eight feet of water, countless cars had been washed away and flights into and out of Oman had been cancelled until further notice.
He added that Ms Ganta's first floor apartment was dangerously flooded, and that she, her son and her mother were stranded – but safe.
“The Ghala Bible Center, which was inaugurated in October 2005, is completely damaged,” he said. “I do not have a cost estimate for the total damages – I will only be able to do that once the flooding stops and people can get out of their homes.”
Although the storm which caused the damage, Cyclone Gonu, turned, before coming ashore near Muscat, and headed north towards the coast of Iran, it left further chaos in its wake. An estimated 20,000 people have been shifted from their homes to schools and other places on higher ground, petrol was suddenly in short supply in the oil-rich country and shops ran out of basic foodstuffs as a result of panic buying.
In an e-mail to Mr Jebejian, Ms Ganta described the streets in front of her house as “like mini rivers, with a strong steady flow of water”. Water was coming in through the windows and under the doors, she added. Nevertheless, she sounded a cheerful note.
“Hopefully the rain will slacken in the next day or so,” she said. “The Met Office has predicted a rainfall of 5-6 inches per day, the heaviest that Oman has experienced in 200 years!!”
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