An unprecedented sandstorm hit Lebanon on Tuesday, bringing visibility to extremely low levels.
George Kettaneh, a Red Cross official, said the number of people hospitalised as a result of the sandstorm has risen to 130, Xinhua news agency reported citing the Annahar daily.
Kettaneh said 130 people complaining of respiratory difficulties in the eastern Bekaa valley and northern district of Akkar were taken to hospitals on Monday night and early Tuesday morning.
He advised those having asthma problems not to leave their homes.
The Meteorological Department at Beirut's Rafik Hariri International Airport described the storm as "unprecedented" in Lebanon, expecting the storm to last a few more days.