By Faith Nyasuguta
Heavy rains and flooding in southern Egypt have left some three people dead and over 500 others hospitalized from scorpion stings, Al-Ahram, a government-run Egyptian newspaper, reports.
Over the weekend, downpours, hail and thunder in the Aswan province pushed local authorities to dismiss school classes on Sunday, Aswan Governor Major General Ashraf Attia said.
Further, the storms forced scorpions from their hiding places into many houses across the province, Attia added.
The Governor thus confirmed that about 503 people were hospitalized after suffering scorpion stings but all of them were later discharged after receiving anti-venom doses.
Health officials even called in doctors who were on holiday to help treat the influx of patients.
No deaths were reported from the scorpion stings.
Images online have shown flooded streets and damaged houses, vehicles and agricultural farms.
Currently, residents have been called upon to stay inside their homes. The Aswan governor has also limited traffic for a time, closing local highways to prevent accidents due to limited mobility in the rain, the outlet reports.
Scorpion stings can be lethal. The Egyptian fat-tailed scorpion, a species found throughout Northern Africa, in particular has been described as one of the most deadly in the world, according to the Saint Louis Zoo.
