ALKHOBAR: A day after a heavy sandstorm blinded much of the Eastern Province, emergency rooms in various hospitals were packed with people complaining about breathing problems.
“Throughout Friday we kept receiving children and elderly men and women with choked throats and breathlessness ... many of them with a history of asthma,” said Darlene Fernandez, one of the nurses at a Dammam hospital.
“Since most of them are suffering from shortness of breath, we have put them on nebulizers to clear their choked lungs,” she said.
The air, according to her, was so thick with sand that most patients actually complained of experiencing an iron-like taste on their tongues on the way to the hospital.
The traffic department chief said there were a few minor accidents on Jubail highway in the early hours of Friday but no fatalities were reported.
Main thoroughfares in Dammam, Jubail and Alkhobar, which were eerily hazy on Thursday night and Friday morning, became clearer as the day wore on. After Friday prayers, much of the Alkhobar skyline was clearly visible. However, families kept away from popular weekend destinations such as the famous Half Moon Bay beach in Alkhobar, Al-Fanateer in Jubail and the Corniche in Dammam.
Streets by and large remained empty and entertainment parks for children went without regular business. With people opting to stay indoors, fast food joints reported a significant drop in their weekend business.
