Egyptian MP and the head of the Democratic Peace Party's parliamentary committee Said Hassasin has made an information request regarding the circumstances surrounding the death of four children who were electrocuted during flashfloods this week.

Four school children – three in Gharbeya governorate and one in Sharqeya – were electrocuted to death in separate incidents after light polls short-circuited due to the heavy rain, Al-Ahram Arabic news website reported. 

MP Hassasin blamed the deaths on government negligence and called on all officials in charge of electricity to take the necessary measures to ensure that light posts are not exposed to rainwater, even if this requires disconnecting electricity from certain areas to preserve citizens' lives. 

On Tuesday, heavy rain brought much of the capital Cairo to a standstill, with EgyptAir delaying flights after passengers were unable to reach the airport.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced on Tuesday night that schools and universities in the Greater Cairo area had been given the day off on Wednesday in anticipation of more unstable weather.

The heavy rain caused widespread traffic jams in the city on Tuesday afternoon, particularly in Heliopolis district where the airport is located. Commuters were stuck in traffic for several hours due to the flooding.

Cairo governorate authorities deployed several vacuum trucks to clear the roads.

On Sunday, the Egyptian Meteorological Authority warned that there would be a spell of unstable weather across the country from Monday to Friday.