Egypt

Thursday declared holiday in Beheira, Alexandria due to bad weather

Thursday was announced as a holiday for employees in state institutions in Beheira and Alexandria governorates due to bad weather.

The announced holiday excludes sectors where a state of emergency has been announced, including the health, water and sanitation and electricity sectors.

Thirteen people were killed and 19 injured in Beheira and Alexandria Wednesday due to bad weather and rainfall accompanied by lightening and thunder that continued for seven hours.

The death toll in Ofouna Village, Beheria, rose to ten on Thursday after two more dead bodies were found, according to Undersecretary of the Health Ministry Alaa Othman. One of the bodies is a 14-month old infant.

Heavy rainfall continued on Thursday in Beheira for a third day, accompanied by lightning and thunder and strong winds.

Fishing was suspended at Maadeya and Bughaz Rashid ports and schools were empty of students Wednesday.

Low-level areas were filled with water, suspending traffic. Power outages occurred in some villages and cities.

One-hundred residents were evacuated from Ofouna Village, Beheira, after the rainwater besieged the village.

Beheira local authorities asked for the armed forces' help to rescue people whose homes were flooded and to transfer the injured to hospitals especially in Wadi al-Natroun, al-Rahmaniya, Aboul Matamir, Kafr al-Dawar and Edko areas. 

Part of the wall of Saint Bishoy Monastery in Wadi al-Natroun was destroyed because of the rain.

Dozens of residents protested in Beheira at the governor's office to demand that drainage pipes and manholes be cleared. 

Deputy Head of Beheira Security Aziz Edward told Al-Masry Al-Youm the bodies of eight victims were recovered from Ofouna Village, two from Abu Homs Village and one from al-Rahmanya Village.

Four are missing, he added.

The Solidarity Ministry announced the disbursement of LE10,000 for each death.

Unstable weather will be affecting parts of Egypt, including Salloum, Matrouh and Alexandria governorates, the Egyptian Meteorological Authority announced Monday.

Weather fluctuations will be affecting Lower Egypt governorates, such as Cairo, Sinai and the Red Sea mountain chains, as well as Upper Egypt, from Wednesday to Friday, said head of the Meteorological Authority Ahmed Abdel Aal in a statement Monday.

Temperatures will drop between 5-6 degrees, he added.

Rain and thunder are expected in Sinai and the Red Sea mountain chains and wind will be active on both the Red and Mediterranean seas.

 
 
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm 

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