RAS GHARIB: A local man inspects the damage following heavy floods in Ras Gharib, near the mouth of the Gulf of Suez in the Red Sea governorate. —AFP

CAIRO: Egypt’s Health Ministry says recent floods have killed 26 people and injured 72 others across the country. Ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed says yesterday that the flooding hit four provinces - Southern Sinai and the Red Sea, as well as Sohag and Bani Suef in Upper Egypt.

He says in Bani Suef, south of the capital, Cairo, five people were injured but no one was killed. Fatalities occurred in the three other provinces.

Last week’s floods have also caused power outages, displaced hundreds of people and swept away dozens of cars, particularly in the Red Sea oil city of Ras Ghareb. They have prompted the military to take the lead in rescue and relief efforts, clearing streets inundated by water and distributing food to affected families.