Meanwhile, the UAE says it has issued an emergency alert, urging residents to seek shelter. Earlier, the country intercepted ...

The flight, chartered by the UK government, was supposed to leave Oman on Wednesday night but was delayed by a technical issue. One passenger calls it a "total farce".

The tiny nucleus of the comet (not visible) is surrounded by a bright halo of gas known as the coma. A long tail stretches away from the comet, and we see hints of rays, jets, streams and filaments.