‘In an instant they were gone’

Muscat: A sombre pall descended upon Samad A’Shan, shrouding the village in sorrow on Monday. The ominous hue of dark grey clouds mirrored the heavy hearts of its inhabitants, gathered in mourning for the tragic loss of 10 young souls, swept away in merciless flash floods on Sunday.

Amidst the relentless downpour that continues to pummel the Sultanate of Oman, the grim reality of Sunday’s events weighed heavily on the community.

Zaher Muhammad Al Abdali, a grieving cousin of the deceased students, recounted the harrowing ordeal of searching for their bodies amidst the tumultuous waters.

“It was a scene of unimaginable tragedy,” Al Abdali reflected, his voice heavy with sorrow."

“The relentless efforts of the Civil Defence Authority and Ambulance (CDAA) were commendable, yet it took an agonising 24 hours to recover the lifeless forms of our beloved children.”

The innocence and promise of these young lives cut short by nature’s cruel hand evoked profound anguish.

Al Abdali struggled to describe the profound loss as his words choked with emotion.

“Their futures extinguished in an instant leaving behind shattered dreams and grieving hearts,” he added further.

As Al Abdali recounted the sequence of events leading to the tragedy, his anguish is palpable.

He revealed the heart-wrenching circumstances surrounding the loss of the young students. “While some schools wisely barred their doors to shield their students from the deluge, the authorities of this particular school deemed the route safe and permitted the children to depart,” he said. Tragically, what began as a seemingly routine journey home,  quickly turned into a nightmare.

“When the students’ cousin set out to get them from school,” Al Abdali continued, “the wadi appeared benign. Yet, upon their return, it had swelled beyond recognition, its treacherous currents proving merciless.”

The sudden ferocity of the floodwaters caught the children unawares, sweeping them away in a cruel twist of fate.

“In an instant,” Al Abdali lamented, “they were lost to the unforgiving currents, leaving behind a trail of devastation and despair.”

As the search for their bodies extended beyond the bounds of the area where the tragedy unfolded, the grim reality of their fate became painfully evident.

“Despite our fervent hopes,” Al Abdali said, “we discovered their lifeless forms several kilometres away, in the desolate expanse of Al Shuwai’i.”

In the wake of this unfathomable tragedy, the community of Samad A’Shan gathered to bid a tearful farewell to their cherished children.

Braving the relentless deluge, they united in shared grief, seeking solace in each other’s presence amidst the sombre procession at the funeral on Monday.

Yet amid the anguish, a glimmer of solidarity emerged, illuminating the darkness of despair.

Al Abdali found solace in the unwavering support of his fellow villagers, whose collective strength sustained them through the darkest of hours.

“In the face of tragedy, our community has shown remarkable resilience,” Al Abdali said. “Through acts of selflessness and compassion, we find hope amid the devastation, standing as a testament to the unyielding spirit of our people.”

As the rains continue to fall, casting a veil of sorrow over Samad A’Shan, the indomitable spirit of its people endures, a beacon of light amidst the darkest of storms.