Egypt: a sandstorm topples a billboard, killing 1 person

A sandstorm killed one person and injured five others in Egypt on Thursday after an advertising billboard fell onto a busy thoroughfare in the heart of Cairo.

In the capital of more than 20 million inhabitants, the sky suddenly darkened as a sandstorm with huge orange billows swept across the sprawling city.

Torn down by the violent winds, "a billboard collapsed onto a motorbike and a car, killing one person and injuring five others", reported the state-owned daily al-Ahram.

Two Red Sea ports along the Suez Canal were also closed on Thursday, with wind gusts reaching more than 50km per hour and waves of more than four metres, according to a statement from the authority in charge of the sea passage through which 10% of the world's maritime trade passes.

The Egyptian Ministry of Health advised residents to wear masks and limit their outings.