CAIRO: At least 7 people have been killed in heavy rains that led to flash floods in Egypt and parts of Israel, government officials confirmed on Tuesday morning. The rain and flooding washed away a number of homes in southern Egypt, killing two women and an Israeli woman drowned when her car was caught in the mess. Egyptian police have reported that a British tourist was also killed when their yacht capsized due to the poor weather conditions along the Nile. Egypt's capital, Cairo, received a brief downpour Monday morning, with a number of cars losing control and causing minor damage. According to police reports from the popular Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh, one woman was killed, the airport roof was damaged and dozens of people are still missing. The British tourist, who has not been named, was with three others when their boat overturned in the southern city of Aswan in heavy winds and sudden rain. The other tourists, including the man's wife, an Indian and a Canadian survived the incident, police added. Israel temporarily closed its border crossings with Egypt and Jordan as a result of the heavy rains and a bridge collapsed near a cargo crossing between Egypt and Israel. Flooding also wiped out communication lines in Sharm el-Sheik and destroyed two dozen homes in Ras Sidr. Flash floods overcame dams in northern Sinai, local officials said, and flood waters are approaching the city of al-Arish, killing one man there. In the Red-sea port of Hurghada a woman drowned when flooding swept her off the main road. Five Egyptian ports were closed due to the unpredictable weather. It is unclear when the situation will be resolved and when communications will return to normal, but security officials in Egypt said they hope that by the end of the week, repairs can be completed to restore the country's infrastructure. BM
