/ 2 September 1999

AN EGYPTIAN SUMMER

AROUND 300 Egyptian beachgoers have drowned since June along the Alexandria coastline, at least twice as many as last year, officials said on Wednesday. The increase is a result of a shortage of lifeguards and an increase in the number of visitors, officials said. The Al-Ahram Hebdo, a French-language weekly, said only 32 lifeguards work on 42 beaches. Alexandria officials said 150 people drowned between June and September last year. Alexandria, Egypt’s second city, is a popular destination for Egyptians during the summer.