Sisi summons full cabinet for urgent meeting Monday morning

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has summoned cabinet for an urgent cabinet meeting on Monday morning, the country’s state-news agency MENA reported  Sunday evening.

No reasons were given for the meeting. However, the call for the meeting comes after heavy rain caused havoc in Egypt’s second largest city, Alexandria, causing the death of five people.

Prime Minister Sherif Ismail, who took office in September 2015, travelled to Alexandria on El-Sisi’s order to examine damage caused by the rain.

Photos of cars, taxis, microbuses, and citizens partly submerged in water in Alexandria went viral on social media, with many residents expressing anger at the authorities for not preparing for the rainy season in advance.

Earlier on Sunday evening, Ismail announced the appropriation of LE75 million ($9.7 million) for repairing the city’s ailing rain drainage.

Alexandria witnesses flash floods on a yearly basis. Last year, floods wreaked havoc on the city for several days.

Heavy rains also disrupted life on Sunday in the governorates of Suez, Damietta and Beheira. No deaths were reported there.

source: Ahram Online