Ten killed as storms hit Middle East

• Tweet

CAIRO, Jan. 11 (UPI) -- At least 10 people have died in the Middle East this week from storms that have collapsed houses and washed a child out to sea, officials say.

Most of the deaths were in Egypt, where eight people died and seven were injured, including three tourists, in cold, turbulent weather, al-Masry al-Youm reported Friday.

In Damietta, one worker died when gusty winds caused him and another laborer to fall from a bridge. Five people died when their home collapsed in Assiut.

The inclement weather caused a car crash that killed two police officers and injured two other people. Three French tourists were hurt when their vehicle overturned.

Four ferries that were due to carry 700 passengers on the Red Sea were kept at the dock by high winds and strong waves. In Alexandria, trains were slowed by water covering the tracks.

In Lebanon, the body of a 7-month-old boy was found Thursday offshore of the coastal city of Khaldeh, The (Beirut) Daily Star reported Friday. The infant had been pulled from his mother's arm when high waves washed through their tent.

A government official said only two deaths from the storm, including the boy's, could be confirmed.

The ceilings on chicken coops on 25 farms collapsed from heavy snow in several towns, killing thousands of birds.