New Delhi, April 15 -- A powerful sandstorm swept through central and southern Iraq on Monday, hospitalising more than 1,800 people with respiratory problems, according to health officials. The storm, described by local authorities as the biggest of the year, cloaked entire regions in an orange haze, severely reducing visibility and prompting temporary airport closures.

Hospitals in Muthanna province received at least 700 patients suffering from suffocation, a local health official confirmed to AFP news agency. In Najaf province, over 250 people were admitted to hospitals for similar breathing issues, reported newspaper Arab News. Diwaniyah province reported at least 322 patients, including children, arriving at hospitals with respirator...