Torrential floods hit Mecca, sweep away dozens of cars

The holy city of Mecca was hit by a new wave of torrential rains, Friday, which turned into floods that swept away large numbers of vehicles, in conjunction with warnings issued by  Saudi authorities of continued heavy rains in the region.

Video has been posted on social media by activists and journalists showed the extent of the massive destruction caused to dozens of cars after they were swept away as a result of the floods that swept a number of neighborhoods in the city of Mecca.

No human casualties have been officially reported, but the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported that “the branch of the Saudi Red Crescent Authority in Mecca has raised its maximum readiness.”

SPA said that this measure came “in conjunction with the warnings issued by the National Center of Meteorology about the rainy situation of the Makkah region, which expect fall of heavy rain.”

In addition to Mecca, the measures to “raise readiness” included the cities of Taif and Jeddah, where the authorities asked citizens to “take precaution and caution” and stay away from dangerous places such as torrential streams and rain gatherings.

Meanwhile, activists on twitter criticized Saudi officials for their failure in measures to prevent flooding, including the deterioration of infrastructure and the failure of Channel Drainage Systems