The storm above Sinai
Photo: Wallid Ismail Abdallah
18-year-old Israeli electrocuted to death in Sinai storm
The young man tried to fix an electrical problem caused by the local storm while his feet were wet, and was electrocuted as a result; he died while being treated at a Sinai hospital.
An 18-year-old Israeli died of electrocution on Friday, while vacationing in the Sinai Peninsula. The event happened as a storm hit Sinai and nearby Eilat.
After the hut where the young man was staying was flooded during the local storm, he tried to fix an electrical outage while his feet were wet, which led to his electrocution. He was fatally injured as a result and was rushed to a hospital, where he eventually died of his wounds.
The flooding in Egypt (Photo: EPA)
The Foreign Affairs Ministry acknowledged the man's death, and added that they are waiting for the family to identify him, before returning the body to Israel.
While Sinai has in recent weeks seen a surge in Israeli visitors, particularly over the holiday of Sukkot, most have already returned to Israel. Those who remained in Sinai experienced the massive floods that caused damage both in Sinai and Eilat.
Eilat Airport halted all flights Friday morning due to the storm floods, resuming flights on around noon. Major roads were blocked due to flooding, with cars stuck in giant puddles.
Eilat also saw 33mm of rain on Friday, particularly unusual considering that the city's yearly rain average stands at 25mm. In just two hours, the amount of rain that fell on the coastal city almost equaled the average rainfall Eilat normally experiences throughout the winter season.
