Rescue operations underway as flash floods hit some 20 Iranian provinces
Torrential rain over the past two days has caused devastating summer floods in some 20 provinces across Iran, claiming lives and causing extensive damage in several areas.
Starting Wednesday, the heavy rainfall has affected most provinces including Tehran, Zanjan, Qom, Gilan, Mazandaran, and Golestan in the north, Kerman and Yazd in the center, and Hormozgan, Bushehr, and Khuzestan in the south of the county.
On Thursday, Iran’s Interior Ministry advised people against going near rivers and valleys.
According to the latest official figures, the flash floods have killed dozens of people across the country.
Meanwhile, the Iranian Red Crescent Society and related governmental bodies are still performing rescue operations in the affected areas.
Tehran governor Mohsen Mansouri said that a flash flood in Firuzkuh, east of the capital, claimed nine lives on Thursday while injuring 12 others. 16 people are also reported missing, he said.
People living in rural areas of the mountainous region are being evacuated by trains as the main roads are still blocked, he said.
In Bushehr, south of the country, a staggering 88 mm of rainfall was recorded on Thursday. Several roads that had been blocked by the floods were reopened with the efforts of related organizations.
The city of Yazd is also facing what netizens called an “unprecedented” rainfall on Thursday morning, which caused a severe flash flood in a few minutes. More than 50 mm of rainfall has been recorded in the city while the average yearly rainfall is just 40 mm.
Authorities of the city have called citizens to evacuate the historical section of Yazd, which has been designated as a national heritage.
In the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan, IRCS personnel offered rescue services to more than 4100 people affected.
According to forecasts, summer rainfalls are expected to continue till Monday.
The torrential rain is also affecting other countries in the region such as the UAE and Qatar.
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