9 dead in sandstorm in Syria

Dubai: Nine people killed, including a father and his son, in Deir Ez Zor in Syria were killed after a powerful sandstorm swept the city, local media reported.

The unprecedented sandstorm, accompanied by strong winds, started on Sunday, leaving nine people dead, including a father and his son, two other children, a woman and three other men. Dozens of people were also injured while hundreds suffered from suffocation due to the density of the storm.

The storm caused substantial damage to public properties as many houses collapsed and dozens of cars were damaged. It also resulted in uprooting of trees and paralysing public and traffic movement in the city.

The storm is expected to sweep parts of Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait today, according to the Arab Regional Weather Centre.