Extreme weather in Egypt brought out a swarm of scorpions from their nests, resulting in hundreds of people in the southern city of Aswan being stung and three people dying from their injuries, according to multiple reports.
According to Insider, At least 450 people were injured by scorpion stings on Friday, an Egyptian health ministry official said, according to the BBC. Three people died after succumbing to those injuries, Sky News reported.
Heavy rain, hail, and dust storms near the River Nile, forced scorpions and snakes out of the ground, Sky News reported. The scorpions, displaced by the weather, then sought shelter in people’s homes, the Independent reported. Egypt is home to the fat-tailed scorpion, one of the most dangerous scorpion species in the world.
The Egyptian newspaper al-Ahram reported, citing a health ministry official, that those who were injured have been hospitalized and are receiving treatment. According to Hadassah University Medical Center, there are 1,000 known types of scorpions in the world, with 21 kinds in Israel, of which five carry poisonous venom, including fat-tail scorpions.
Ynet News reported that for treating a sting, Hadassah advises “calming the victim, immobilizing the affected limb, and quick transport to a hospital. It is also advisable to put some ice on the sting, which will alleviate the pain, and slow the progress of the venom.”
