21 dead as temperatures soar in Egypt

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As many as 21 people have died and 66 others were hospitalised with exhaustion as soaring temperatures and high humidity hit Cairo and other parts of Egypt, the health ministry said Monday.

The victims, who all died on Sunday, succumbed as temperatures soared as high as 47 degrees Celsius (117 Fahrenheit), in conditions made less bearable by elevated humidity levels.

Fifteen people died in Cairo, four in the Delta province of Qalibiya and two in Upper Egypt’s Qena province, the ministry said in a statement. Those who died, including seven women, were all aged over 60.

Sixty-six people were admitted to hospital after suffering from exhaustion, including 37 who are still under observation, it added.