Al-Khamasin sandstorm hits Middle East
Regional, Environment, 3/17/1998

A sandstorm churned up in the North African desert blanketed the Middle East on Monday in a haze of dust so thick that flights could not take off or land, sea ports had to be closed and people had difficulty breathing. At least one person was killed and 29 injured in road accidents.

The storm, described as the worst ever in Lebanon and the most severe in Jordan in 50 years, reduced visibility to as little as 200 meters. Israel, Egypt, and Syria were also badly hit.

Thirteen people were admitted to hospital in Amman, Jordan, with breathing problems officials said. Lebanese Radio stations broadcast statements by health officials asking people with asthma to remain indoors and wear masks. People walked with handkerchiefs pressed to their noses. Furniture and carpets in homes and offices were covered with layers of sand.

The winds which originated in the Libyan-Egyptian desert in North Africa are a seasonal pattern known al-Khamasin. The Egyptian capital, Cairo and other parts of the country have been wrapped in the yellowish haze of dust since Sunday.

In Southern Egypt, 28 people including six children were injured in six car accidents along the Cairo-Aswan highway. In Jordan, a car crashed into a fuel tanker on a highway that links Amman with Baghdad and one person was reported to be killed and another injured as a result.

Sandstorms, traditionally known al-Khamasin (fifty) for the number of days on which they occur, are common at this time of year.

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