FILE: Egyptian pharmacist Nahla Abdel-Hameed catches a scorpion at the Scorpion Kingdom laboratory and farm in Egypt's Western Desert, near the city of Dakhla in the New Valley, some 700 Southeast the capital, on February 4, 2021. (Photo by KHALED DE …
CAIRO - Heavy rain and flooding in a southern province in Egypt have left three people dead and more than 500 others hospitalized from scorpion stings, state-run media reported.
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Downpours, hail and thunder in the province of Aswan over the weekend forced local authorities to suspend school classes on Sunday, Gov. Ashraf Attia said.
The storms forced scorpions from their hiding places into many houses across the province, Attia added. He said at least 503 people were hospitalized after suffering scorpion stings and that all of them were discharged after they were given anti-venom doses.
Acting Health Minister Khalid Abdel-Ghafar said in a statement that no deaths were reported from scorpion stings.
Photos and video footage circulated on social media showed flooded streets and damaged houses, vehicles and agricultural farms.
The Al-Ahram daily reported the deaths, citing Ehab Hanafy, the Health Ministry’s Undersecretary in Aswan. It did not elaborate on the cause.
The rainfall also caused power outages.
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