UAE rains: Oil slick near cars in flooded areas add to residents' worry

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As the UAE begins to assess damages to homes and businesses and clear waterlogged roads after a rare rainstorm that inundated the country, residents in Sharjah now face an additional worry: oil slick on a waterlogged road.

This new concern has risen on Al Wahda Road, near the Al Khan interchange, adding to the anxieties of people already grappling with the impact of the April 16 storm. According to residents, the slick has led to oil contaminating the flooded roads, worsening the already challenging situation.

Ahmed, a Sharjah resident who had come to inspect his abandoned car on Al Wahda Road, said: “We observed a dark liquid floating on top of the stagnant water. When I touched the liquid, I felt it to be motor engine oil. The slick spans nearly a kilometre in one direction."

He added, “We are worried, as a tiny spark can cause unimaginable damage."