ADEN, Yemen, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- At least five people were killed as Tropical Cyclone Tej struck Yemen's eastern province of Al Mahrah, displacing over a thousand families, a government official told Xinhua on Tuesday.
The local official, who asked to remain anonymous, said that large areas of Al Mahrah experienced heavy rain, flooding, and strong winds as a result of the cyclone since Monday morning.
The official said five people died when their homes collapsed in the Huswain district, while dozens more were injured from the collapse of ten other homes.
The cyclone also partially damaged many other homes and swept away large agricultural areas across Al Mahrah. Hundreds of families have fled to schools and shelters, according to the source.
The Executive Unit for Managing Displaced Persons' Camps in Yemen said over a thousand families were displaced by the cyclone, while the Yemen Red Crescent said its teams could not reach affected areas like Ghaydah, Haswain, and other districts in Al Mahrah.
Rashad Al-Alimi, the chief of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), along with other government officials, arrived in Al Mahrah to closely monitor the emergency.
He has directed efforts to limit damage and provide care for evacuated citizens in shelters across Al Mahrah, according to the state-run Saba news agency.
On Monday, the Yemeni Meteorological Center said that the tropical situation will continue during the upcoming hours with heavy rain across Al Mahrah and other eastern provinces, calling on local residents to take caution.
Yemen faces dire humanitarian conditions due to over nine years of war between government forces and Houthi rebels. Natural disasters exacerbate the suffering of millions in the war-ravaged Arab country. ■
