Oman evacuated as Cyclone Gonu nears

Oman evacuated tens of thousands today and closed the major port of Sohar as a weakening Cyclone Gonu roared toward the Strait of Hormuz - the world's major transport artery for Persian Gulf oil.

As heavy rains lashed coastal areas, authorities closed all operations at the port of Sohar and evacuated the 11,000 workers, said port spokesman Dirk Jan De Vink.

Sohar's oil refinery and petrochemical plant remained running at very low levels, with authorities considering a total shutdown, De Vink said.

De Vink said he and the other beach-front residents of the city of 60,000 were leaving their homes, all threatened by rising tides and large waves pushed by the approaching storm.

"These people know the force of the sea and they're doing the right thing," he said. "Most of them are leaving or have already left."