Thousands of people were left suffocating on Monday as a massive sandstorm brought life in the war-torn Iraqi capital to a virtual standstill.
Nearly 1 000 cases of suffocation were reported at the city’s Yarmuk hospital, which saw one 60-year-old woman die.
Hundreds of other people visited private clinics and family doctors as a fog-like cloak of orange dust sat over the city.
Traffic came to a virtual standstill as commuters stayed at home, while those who dared step out wore masks or covered their mouths with piece of cloth to keep the dust out.
The capital’s main airport was also shut, with no flights taking off.
”You can barely see 15m ahead,” said police Captain Ali Hussein as he struggled to cope with the sandy onslaught at his traffic post in a central Baghdad square.
He said traffic was very light ”and those who drive have their vehicle headlights on and are either driving very slowly, or very fast to reach their destination quickly”.
”I have never seen anything like this before,” Hussein said, wearing dark sunglasses and a mouth cover, with his uniform covered in dust.
”They [the police department] have not given us anything to protect us from such weather. I bought this mask on the street and need to buy some more for my colleagues.”
Hussein said he helped a number of people reach hospitals and their homes after they complained of suffocation.
”We called ambulances and even sent some people in our vehicles, as it is our duty to help those stranded in such a climate. They were really in a bad condition,” he added, brushing off the dust from his uniform.
The capital’s sidewalks and main streets were empty as most shopkeepers kept their shutters closed.
But those who braved the hot storm did brisk business.
”I am the only one who is open in Sinak market today, but I am selling masks and not my usual items,” said Mohammed Abdul Jabbar (32), a vendor who usually deals in farming equipment at the central Baghdad market.
Jabbar, who had a stock of masks normally sold to farmers using pesticides, made some quick money as choking pedestrians walked into his shop to buy the cotton mouth covers.
”Usually I sell a packet of 100 such masks for 2 500 dinars [R11], but today I am selling it for 3 000 dinars,” he said, his shop full of dust.
A street away, a tea-stall owner, Saddam, had also turned himself into a mask seller.
”I bought from that shopkeeper some packets of these masks and am now selling them on,” he said.
”It is good money. I am selling each piece for 250 dinars, much better than selling tea. I hope this weather lasts for some time.”
The freak storm also managed to disrupt talks on Iraq’s first post-Saddam Hussein Constitution, with the crucial negotiations delayed a day because of the sandy situation. — Sapa-AFP