BAGHDAD, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Iraq recorded 837 cases of suffocation caused by a severe dust storm sweeping the country, the health ministry said Tuesday.
No deaths have been reported, and those affected have left hospitals after receiving medical treatment, the ministry said in a statement.
Health departments in the capital Baghdad and other provinces have been placed on high alert for a second consecutive day of dusty weather, it added.
Dust storms are common in Iraq, often triggered by desertification, sparse vegetation cover, and prolonged droughts. ■
