Dust storm in Iraq leaves thousands of cases of suffocation

Iraq's Ministry of Health reported that more than 3,700 people have suffered from suffocation due to a sandstorm that hit central and southern Iraq on Monday, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP). 

The sandstorm, which occurred between Monday afternoon and the early hours of Tuesday morning, led to zero visibility in many areas and disrupted air traffic at the Najaf and Basra international airports, according to the Iraqi Ministry of Transport.

Reports from Najaf, Basra, and Nasiriyah stated that thick orange clouds of dust covered streets and homes, forcing both police officers and passersby to wear masks. In Najaf, an emergency responder assisted a man in breathing from an oxygen cylinder.

Health Ministry spokesperson Saif Al-Badr told the Iraqi News Agency on Tuesday that "the number of suffocation cases recorded from the dust storm on Monday has reached 3,747 cases of people admitted to emergency rooms in Baghdad and other provinces."

Al-Badr confirmed that no fatalities or cases of intensive care unit (ICU) admissions have been recorded, noting that most of the patients left hospitals after receiving necessary treatments and have fully recovered.

The highest number of cases was reported in Basra province (1,041 cases), followed by Al-Muthanna (874 cases) and Maysan (628 cases).

As a result of the severe weather conditions, authorities in Basra decided to suspend official work on Tuesday, citing "poor weather conditions," according to a statement from the Basra Governorate published by the Iraqi News Agency.

The General Authority for Meteorology and Seismology, affiliated with the Iraqi Ministry of Transport, stated that southern and central Iraq were affected by "dense dust waves caused by surface winds from eastern Saudi Arabia and southwestern Iraq."