Sunday, January 30, 2011

Consulate confirms OFW killed in Jeddah floods

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia – The Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah has confirmed reports to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) that an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) was among the casualties in the floods that hit Jeddah following a heavy downpour earlier this week. 
 
Ronilo Malit, a 53-year-old Pampanga native who worked as a cargo loader in Jeddah, died when he was accidentally electrocuted while passing near a submerged transformer during the floods. 
 
Consulate staff members met with Malit’s employer who reported the incident, the DFA said in a press statement Sunday. 
 
His family has been informed about the incident.
 
The consulate is now assisting the OFW's family for the repatriation of his remains.
 
Heavy downpour lasting for 6 hours last January 26 flooded Jeddah’s main thoroughfares, causing monstrous traffic snarls, power outages, and damage to personal property. 
 
People and motor vehicles were stranded in low-lying areas of the city until midnight last Wednesday. 
 
The downpour, measured by Saudi weather authorities to have reached a record of 111 millimeters, exceeded by 21 millimeters the accumulated rainfall that caused flooding in Jeddah and killed 123 persons on November 25, 2009. 
 
Major roads have been were reopened. However, many residents in flooded districts remained without mobile phone connection due to damaged towers. 

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