Two UAE nationals among victims of hiking incident in Oman
Salem Mohammed Al Jarraf and Khalid Yousef Al Mansouri
Rashid Al Nuaimi, Staff Reporter
The unfortunate series of events that befell a 16-member multinational hiking team in Oman, resulting in the demise of four climbers and injuries to others, revealed that among the victims were two Emiratis, Khalid Al Mansouri and Salem Al Jarraf. They perished after being trapped with their colleagues in a narrow valley that was flooded with rainwater following an unexpected downpour during the expedition.
Khalid Yousef Al Mansouri was a former UAE handball player and javelin champion, while Salem Mohammed Al Jarraf was an avid enthusiast of adventure sports who had participated on numerous occasions with teams in the Sultanate of Oman.
Funeral prayers were conducted in Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah following the arrival of the deceased's bodies from Oman.
Wadi Qasha'a, the site of the incident, is one of the locations that attracts adventurers due to its deep canyons and narrow paths. It forms part of Wadi Al Hajri, but includes rocky slopes that require caution in order to be negotiated safely, as a misstep could result in a fall into the valley's stream, which is characterised by a strong flow due to its narrowness.
On Saturday, the Royal Oman Police (ROP) said a 16-member multinational hiking team in the Sultanate of Oman met a tragic end on Friday as a result of inclement weather. A torrential downpour swept away five climbers, four of whom perished, while the rest sustained varying degrees of injury.
The victims of the incident were transported by police aircraft to Nizwa Hospital. This was after the group faced heavy rain in Wadi Tanouf in Nizwa governorate. Owing to this, an Omani citizen and three other Arab nationals died, while another sustained serious injuries, the ROP added.
Meanwhile, the Civil Defence and Ambulance Authority stated that the rescue teams of the Civil Defence and Ambulance Department in Ad-Dakhiliyah Governorate, in collaboration with local residents, responded to a report on the missing mountain hikers in Nizwa. Of these individuals, four were confirmed dead, while four others were transported to a medical facility with injuries that ranged from moderate to critical.
