Sandstorm sweeps across Iraq, leaving over 1,000 with respiratory ailments

New Delhi, Apr 15: A severe sandstorm has swept through central and southern Iraq, leaving more than 1,000 people suffering from respiratory problems, health officials confirmed on Monday. Hospitals across multiple provinces were inundated with patients struggling to breathe as thick orange dust blanketed the region. In Muthanna province alone, at least 700 cases of suffocation were reported, according to a health official quoted by the AFP news agency.

Local media broadcast images of streets and buildings engulfed in a dense haze, with visibility dropping to less than one kilometre. Flights were suspended and power cuts reported in several areas as the storm disrupted daily life.

Hospitals in Najaf treated over 250 patients, while Diwaniyah recorded 322 cases, including children. In the southern provinces of Dhi Qar and Basra, more than 500 people sought medical attention for respiratory issues. Residents donned face masks as a precaution, and paramedics were deployed to assist those in distress. Authorities were forced to temporarily close airports in Najaf and Basra due to the poor visibility.