15 killed by heavy rains in Egypt

Cairo, Oct 28 (IANS/AKI) Fifteen people have been killed and 47 others injured by torrential rain and flooding in Egypt since Thursday, state-run daily Al-Ahram said Friday on its website, citing health officials.

Seven people were killed and 23 others injured after heavy rain hit the town of Ras Gharib in the Red Sea governorate, Al-Ahram quoted Egypt's official MENA agency as reporting, citing the provincial health department.

Schools in the coastal town, which is around 150 km north of Hurghada, have been closed until further notice due to the flooding.

Six people were also killed and 24 others wounded early on Friday when two buses and three other vehicles overturned in floods on a highway in the governorate of Sohag, some 500 km south of Cairo, the health ministry said.

Authorities closed off the road in both directions after many vehicles became trapped by the floods, Al-Ahram quoted a provincial official as saying.

Two people were also killed by electric shocks resulting from thunder in Fayed, in the Suez Canal governorate of Ismailiya.

Heavy rains caused flooding in several towns in Upper Egypt and along the Red Sea coast on Wednesday and Thursday.

Impoverished areas with poor infrastructure have been worse hit while the capital Cairo has been spared the heavy rains and flooding.

--IANS/AKI

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