Air traffic largely normal, claims GACA; hospitals treat hundreds of patientsRIYADH — A powerful sandstorm blowing over the country has disrupted marine traffic, closed schools and sent hundreds of people to hospital with respiratory problems. However, except for an Egyptian plane which was returned to Cairo due to inclement weather, there has been no significant disruption of air traffic. The Yanbu-bound aircraft was initially diverted to Jeddah, but could not land because of low visibility. “The Egyptian airplane had to return to Cairo due to low visibility in the early hours of Monday. The weather conditions improved after nine in the morning,” Khaled Al-Khaibari, spokesman of the General Authority of Civil Aviation, said. He said air traffic was normal as all the Kingdom's airports have sophisticated and advanced air guidance equipment which allow pilots to land even in low visibility situations. The Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME) has asked people to take precautionary measures as it said dusty weather would continue for a couple of days. Cap. Saher Al-Tahlawi, Director of Jeddah Islamic Port, said marine traffic was disrupted Monday. “Due to low visibility and dusty winds, we decided to halt all activities.” The port will be functional again when the weather conditions improve, he said. The Ministry of Education announced the closure of schools in the north, east and south-west of the Kingdom, a day after similar measures were taken in the capital Riyadh, the official SPA news agency reported. In Riyadh, hundreds of people, mostly children with asthma and allergies, were treated for breathing difficulties triggered by the storm. Dr. Sami Badawood, Director of Jeddah Health Affairs, said over the past 24 hours 400 patients, mostly children, were treated in various hospitals in the city. “King Abdul Aziz Hospital's emergency unit received 159 asthma cases and one patient was hospitalized while Maternity and Children's Hospital in Al-Masaadiya received 43 patients and King Fahd Hospital 57 cases,” he said. All emergency units in Jeddah hospitals have been put on alert and have been provided with the necessary medical equipment to deal with chest and allergy cases, he pointed out. Col. Khaled Al-Arqoobi, spokesman of the Border Guard in the Eastern Province, said the speed of the winds caused by the sandstorm made it difficult to contain the fire that started on a Liberian ship last Thursday in international waters, 120 km off King Fahd Industrial Port of Jubail. Sandstorms also affected other Gulf countries, including the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, where national weather centers warned drivers to use extra caution due to poor visibility and strong winds. In Yemen, the sandstorm severely disrupted air traffic in and out of Sanaa's international airport. At least two flights into the Yemeni capital were canceled Monday morning while several others were either delayed or re-routed to the southern port city of Aden, the official SABA news agency reported.
