CAIRO: Forty were injured in Aswan Saturday as heavy rain and sandstorms caused the collapse of many houses in remote villages, as well as a blackout in Luxor. Heavy rain continued for two hours in the villages of Naga' Al Shadeeda, Al Malqata and Khor Abu Sera flooding the roads with water without serious damages; meanwhile, a sandstorm hit Daraw for three hours causing the collapse of many houses and the injury of 12 residents. Trees and light poles fell on electricity cables causing a blackout in several areas in Luxor and Aswan as well as the failure of the internet network in Aswan. Ali Hussein, spokesperson of the governorate of Aswan, said that the floods were much less severe than last January's and that electricity and internet services were restored. "The floods were away from urban inhabited areas; the houses that collapsed are very weak and couldn't withstand the strong winds," Hussein told Daily News Egypt. Health departments in Aswan recorded 27 injuries relating to scorpion stings as floods forced them out of their holes. "Injuries were minor varying from bone fractures to scratches," Hussein said. A major flood that hit Aswan last January left seven dead and hundreds of destroyed houses. Authorities at Sohag and Assiut governorates raised emergency levels in anticipation of floods and sandstorms.
