JNN 31 Dec 2o10 : At least four people, including three children, have died in flash flooding around the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, reports indicate.

Local officials say at least 200 people have so far been rescued from the flooding caused by heavy rains.

In Jeddah, the country’s second largest city, several major roads were inundated and traffic came to a virtual halt after dozens of cars broke down.

Authorities said the Jeddah flooding caused no casualties, but many residents found their homes overwhelmed by high water, which in some districts was reported knee-high and in others as high as the waist.

Jeddah was hit by another major flood last November which killed 123 people and caused extensive damage.

According to official figures, thousands of families lost their homes in that flood, which destroyed nearly 11,000 buildings and as many vehicles.