CAIRO, Aug. 11 (UPI) — As a heatwave continues to ravage Egypt, more deaths and injuries burden the population of Egypt with the death toll rising to at least 40.
Eleven individuals died in Cairo alone, where the temperature stayed above 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Three other people died in a mental hospital, and several others in regions including Sohag, Luxor and Giza.
Ninety-two individuals have been admitted into hospital after experiencing heat exhaustion, 70 of these in Cairo. Another source says 187 victims of heat stress, mostly elderly, have been reported Sunday, 21 other people died after temperatures reached a high of 116.6 degreed Fahrenheit.
Higher than normal humidity levels also add to the problem caused by the heat wave, which is expected to continue affecting Egypt until at least Aug. 25. The health ministry says the elderly, infants and children are most vulnerable to heat-related injuries. Egyptians have been advised to avoid being in the sun, to wear hats and hydrate throughout the day.
A spokesman for the Egyptian Meteorological Authority said that the heat wave has been brought on by a seasonal depression that originates in India and flows westward over the Arabian Peninsula.
