A freak storm that hit a major southern Egyptian city at the weekend has sent more than 500 people to hospital seeking treatment for stings by swarms of deadly scorpions washed from their desert habitat into the Nile-side metropolis, officials said on Tuesday.
The storm also destroyed and partially damaged hundreds of homes. Flash floods caused by the storm inundated vast swathes of desert surrounding Aswan, sending the creatures into homes on the outskirts of the city, the officials said.
Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, minister of high education and acting health minister, said a total of 503 people were treated for scorpion stings in several hospitals in Aswan. All 503 survived and were later discharged from hospitals.
Egypt is home to fat-tailed scorpions, rated among the world’s deadliest. Human stung by them can die within an hour.
Three members of the security forces stationed at Aswan were electrocuted by a live cable covered by flood waters, officials said.
The storm hit the city on Friday, but details about its impact only began to trickle through later.
The storm’s thunder and hail terrified residents not accustomed to such extreme weather. Aswan normally receives as little as 1 of rainfall annually.
The storm, according to Mr Abdel Ghaffar, caused power outages when electricity pylons were knocked down. Scores of trees were also uprooted by the storm, which brought work to a halt at local water treatment plants.
Ashraf Attiya, Aswan's governor, said as many 106 homes were completely destroyed by the storm and the flash floods that followed, while 394 other residences were partially damaged. Homes that have been completely destroyed will be rebuilt in safer areas, he said.
Local authorities have asked the central government in Cairo for additional funds totalling 56 million pounds ($3.6m) to build new homes, repair damaged ones and pay compensation to residents who lost valuables in the floods, he said.
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Crazy Rich Asians
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeon, Gemma Chan
Four stars
PSG's line up
GK: Alphonse Areola (youth academy)
Defence - RB: Dani Alves (free transfer); CB: Marquinhos (€31.4 million); CB: Thiago Silva (€42m); LB: Layvin Kurzawa (€23m)
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- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
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Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
