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At least one person was swept away and a fishing boat with crew was missing after huge waves measuring up to 14 feet accompanied by strong winds lashed the beaches of UAE on Tuesday.
One worker was carried away by huge waves at the Palm Island in Dubai, a township built in the sea but four other men who were swept off swam to safety, the Gulf News reported.
Incidentally, neighbouring Iran was rocked by a quake measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale on Monday night.
The Dubai Meteorological Office reported very strong winds of 30 knots and the highest tide of the month. The combination contributed to the high waves and water reaching inland by a few metres, the report said.
"The winds picked up offshore from the north-west at around 7.30 am and waves offshore reached 10-14 feet," a source from the Met office said.
Police sources said they were still searching for the worker who was washed away from a construction site on the Jumeirah Palm Island. His nationality was not known.
"We suspect that the victim's body is trapped somewhere between tiny islands surrounding the main island. Divers searching for the missing worker are being guided by four other workers who were also hit by the wave," the source said.
According to Dubai police, a fishing boat in Jumeirah also went missing with an unspecified number of crew onboard.
Ajman and Sharjah experienced its highest tide at 12.30pm and Port Rashid at 12.20pm. Police said the sea waters had reached roads near the beaches of Ajman and Sharjah and dead fish were lying around.