BISHA/MAHAYIL ASIR/BALLASMAR and AL-AHSA – The floods that struck Tarj Valley on Saturday morning prevented over 30 male and female teachers from reaching their schools in Al-Ghafrat village, 65 km southwest of Bisha Governorate. This meant more than 275 male and female students could not attend school on the first day of their return to classes. Ali Al-Harthi, Deputy Headmaster of Abu Hurairah Boys' School in the village, said 140 students from the village did not attend. Only 60 students were able to make it to school. Al-Harthi said the problem was caused by the flow of water in the valley that separates the school from surrounding villages including Al-Faidh, Makhshoush, Musailifah, Qareen Dhabi and Bisha. The headmistress of Al-Ghafrat Primary and Intermediate Girls' School opened the doors for students. However, 135 female students were unable to reach the school building located behind the valley. The buses used for transporting female students were unable to cross the valley and reach the school. Sa'eed Bin Farha Aal Othman, Director of the Boys' Education Administration said in such circumstances they will allow students to remain absent until the situation improves and the danger passes. Villages isolated In Mahayil Asir, the heavy rain that fell on Saturday isolated a number of districts in the governorate due to overflowing storm water drain networks. Flood water inundated the road between Abha and Mahayil Asir isolating Al-Dhars district in the western part of the governorate. The floods swept away roads and electricity posts in Al-Nazer District and Al-Hamattah town. Even the culverts did not withstand the flood fury and caved in. Meanwhile, the floods swept away the electricity posts in Turabah as well. No casualty Major Muhammad Abdu Rahman Al-Asimi, official spokesman of the Civil Defense in Asir, said the inclement weather in Mahayil and its surroundings did not result in any drowning or marooning incidents. He said Civil Defense patrols in the governorate were deployed on the roads and on the valley banks. Traffic police patrols and Red Crescent teams were deployed in full strength to tackle any emeregency situation. In Al-Namas, Tanuma governorates as well as Ballahmar and Ballasmar rural centers witnessed heavy rains on Saturday. In Ballasmar, several cases of rockslides were reported. – Okaz/SG – Maghram Asiri, Tawfiq Al-Asmari and Salim Al-Sibei also contributed to the report __
