Motorists were forced to park after a severe dust storm reduced road visibility in Baghdad, Iraq.

Video taken on May 5 shows the heavy, fog-like dust cloaking the road as car headlights struggled to cut through the poor visibility. Drivers had to stop their vehicles on the roadside to prevent any fatal accidents.

Iraq's health ministry said at least one person has died while 5,000 others - mostly the elderly and those afflicted with chronic lung diseases - have been hospitalised for respiratory problems triggered by the dust storm, which has blanketed six provinces in the country including the capital Baghdad.

This sandstorm is the seventh in recent months, allegedly caused by intensifying droughts, soil degradation, and lower rainfall believed to be linked to climate change.

Local media said authorities in the provinces of Al-Anbar and Kirkuk have urged residents not to venture out of their homes to avoid inhaling the choking dust, which can also carry pesticides and bacteria.