A Civil Defense official called for the evacuation of people in villages some 400 kilometers southwest of Jeddah because of rising water at a dam in the area. A committee report found rain is causing the water to continue rising and at least 172 houses on a flood plain in the Hali village area face serious threats if the dam bursts, the municipality said. Recent heavy rainfall has caused water held back by the dam to reach a new high that threatens villagers and led officials to take extra precautions, authorities said. The situation is “very dangerous,” said Col. Hassan Al-Qafili, chief of the Qunfidah Civil Defense Department, who called for an immediate evacuation of villages near the dam. The villagers need to be accommodated “far away from the face of danger,” he added. The manager of the dam project has shrugged off responsibility and officially notified higher authorities of the current situation, Al-Qafili said. The Makkah Emirate has requested an estimate of the villagers' vulnerable property so it will be prepared to respond if the dam bursts and causes property damage, the committee report stated.
