May 18, 2013
BAGHDAD (AP) - A heavy sandstorm in Baghdad has sent dozens of
people to the hospital with breathing problems; people covered
their mouths with masks, scarves and other bits of clothing as sand
whipped across the city.
Doctors say it's aggravating respiratory conditions, especially among the elderly.
Airport officials say four flights destined for other Middle
Eastern cities were delayed in the morning, though flights have now
resumed.
Sandstorms are a regular occurrence in the Iraqi capital, which is shielded from the desert by a thin strip of arable land between
the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
In April, one of the worst storms in years hampered military flights. At the time, militants from eastern Baghdad seemed to take advantage of the reduced aerial activity, repeatedly shelling the
Green Zone.
A U.S. military spokesman says there's no sign of that happening today.
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