Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail submitted a report to President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi exonerating Alexandria’s former governor Hany Elmessiry after devastating floods paralyzed the coastal city and left seven dead. According to independent media Youm7, Ismail submitted the report following his visit to Alexandria on Sunday to assess the situation and examine the official response. The PM said authorities were caught off guard when Alexandria suffered from pouring rain and hail for nine consecutive hours. According to other reports, the rainstorm resulted in around 10 inches (25 cm) of water – five times the normal amount of rain in Alexandria – within only three hours. In the midst of the heavy rain, a power cable feeding the tram line in Moharram Bey was reported on Sunday to have fallen in the rain water flooding the streets, causing seven people and a horse to die of electric shock, reported Youm7. As the situation escalated, Elmessiry stepped down as governor in the face of widespread criticism of the city’s lack of preparedness. Major General Youssry Henry, the head of the Sewage Authority, followed Elmessiry’s lead and also resigned in the wake of…
Egyptian Governor Hany Elmessiry Cleared of Responsibility in Alexandria Flooding
October 27, 2015
