Iraq | 3 deaths and dozens of suffocation cases after a dust storm swept many areas

Weather of Arabia - The "RT" reporter reported that 3 people died out of 23 cases of suffocation and shortness of breath, and they arrived at Al-Touz General Hospital in Salah al-Din Governorate in Iraq, after a dust storm swept many regions of the country.

Kirkuk Health Director Nabil Hamdi Bushnak told the Iraqi News Agency (INA) on Thursday that more than 90 cases of suffocation and shortness of breath were recorded in Kirkuk Governorate, northern Iraq, due to the dust storm.

The health of the Kurdistan Region called on citizens to avoid leaving the house and wearing masks, especially those with asthma, respiratory allergies and heart diseases, at a time when many hospitals witnessed a large influx of infected people.

Erbil International Airport (EIA) and Sulaymaniyah International Airport in Kurdistan Region also suspended all flights on Thursday due to reduced visibility due to the massive sandstorm that hit the autonomous region and northern Iraq.

Officials in Mosul announced a holiday on Thursday throughout the Iraqi province, due to the heavy dust.

Read also: All flights suspended at two airports in northern Iraq due to the dense dust storm (photos)

Kirkuk Traffic issues important instructions to citizens during the impact of the dust storm

The Kirkuk Traffic Department issued, earlier on Thursday, a number of instructions to citizens and vehicle drivers, after the dust storm that hit the province.

The director of Kirkuk Traffic, Brigadier General Muhammad Ismail Ali, stated that the department took its duty to preserve the lives of citizens by spreading detachments, operating light car signs, and instructing vehicle drivers to follow the instructions issued by the directorate, after the dust storm that hit Kirkuk governorate and caused a lack of visibility.

Among the instructions issued by the Kirkuk Traffic Department, which must be implemented during the dust storm:

• Close vehicle windows tightly while driving during a dust storm.
• Turn on the headlights to increase visibility between one vehicle and another.
• Driving at low speeds, and not exceeding the prescribed speeds.
• Double the safety distance between one vehicle and another so that the driver can park safely at the time of danger.
• Concentrate while driving, and never use the phone.
• Avoid passing vehicles while driving.
• Use side signals at the right time, ie before a sufficient distance.
• Avoid traveling and commuting as much as possible.
• Ensure that the wipers are clean and that there is enough water to clean the glass to improve road visibility.
• Do not go out unless absolutely necessary.

Read also: Iraq - weekend | Heat fluctuations await the state and an expected intensification of dust waves

Dust storms increase in Iraq and climate change

In early March, one person died as a result of a dust storm in Iraq, and another 1,000 people were hospitalized.

The increasing desertification in Iraq in recent years has contributed to the intensification of such storms, and Iraqi officials expect further increases in dust storms in the coming years.

Issa Rahim Dakhil Al-Fayyad, Director General of the Iraqi Ministry of Health and Environment, warned Tuesday that Iraq will witness a significant increase in the number of dust storms in the country during the next twenty years.

Iraq has been classified by the United Nations as the fifth country exposed to the adverse effects of climate change, and some of those effects are already starting to appear in Iraq, including reduced rainfall, drought, reduced wheat production, and water scarcity.