Shafaqna English– A sandstorm engulfed Iraq, filling the air with suffocating dust, which closed airports and sent over 3,700 people to the hospital with breathing issues, according to the health ministry on Tuesday (15 Apr 2025).
AFP photographers reported that visibility fell to less than one kilometre (barely half a mile) in central and southern cities as the storm cloaked the region in an eerie orange haze.
Basra and Najaf airports both closed for the duration of the storm, which began to dissipate on Tuesday morning.
Health ministry’s Spokesperson Al-Badr said Basra was the worst-hit province, accounting for over 1,000 of the 3,747 hospital admissions attributed to the sandstorm.
Many of those who dared to venture out in Basra wore face masks to protect themselves from the choking dust, an AFP photographer reported.
Source: Iraqi News