Egyptian Bedouins protesting insufficient government support in the face of severe flooding temporarily blocked a highway, the Al Masry Al Youm daily reported Thursday, DPA reported.
Around 500 Bedouins from the Ras Sudr region on the west coast of the Sinai Peninsula on Wednesday blocked the highway between Ras Sudr and the city of Sharm el-Sheikh.
Protesters said police used tear gas and fired shots to disperse the protest and reopen the highway, Al Masry Al Youm reported.
The Ras Sudr region is among Egypt's regions hit hard by torrential rains and flooding that began on Sunday. Extreme weather has destroyed houses and infrastructure in the city of Aswan on the Nile, as well as along the Sinai Peninsula. Thirteen people have died in the flooding.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has ordered compensation for those who lost their homes and allocated land for rebuilding. The Bedouins say government assistance has been insufficient.
Five of Egypt's ports, including the main Mediterranean port in Alexandria, are closed due to the flooding.