A woman died of head injuries in Sharqiya on Wednesday after a butane gas cylinder fell on her head while she waited in line to buy gas. The 46-year-old woman, Mona Sayed, from al-Katayie village, in Diyarn Nigm, Sharkiya Governorate, was rushed to hospital but died of a brain hemorrhage.

Several other people were injured around the country as panic buying of butane gas spread, with the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce warning of a crisis resulting from increased consumption. Among those injured were three people in Minya al-Kamh, who were apparently hurt while crowding around a truck carrying cylinders.

Butane cylinder stores in Alexandria in areas such as Khorshid, Ameria and Masakin Abd al-Kadir, witnessed huge crowds, while black market prices reached LE25 per cylinder.

Meanwhile, a shortage of 80-Octane gasoline caused drivers to queue outside gas stations, with long lines of traffic blocking roads in Zagazig and Sharqiya. The fuel has been selling in large quantities on the black market, with black market prices set at double their official rate.

Translated from the Arabic Edition