Unprecedented floods overwhelms Iran, 18 die, several injured; most of them were holidaymakers

Tuesday, March 26, 2019

After years of drought, Iran is overwhelmed with major floods which left 18 people dead and over 70 injured so far. Iran floods have triggered landslides and there are warnings of more heavy rain to come.

The play of duality – after decades of drought, the arid Iran is facing flood threat. The oscillation of weather is being attributed to climate change.

As per the rescue services, seventeen people were killed and 74 injured in the southern city of Shiraz, and one person was killed in Sarpol-e Zahab in the western province of Kermanshah. Many of those killed in Shiraz were holidaymakers caught in the flood as they entered the city in their cars.

The national flood emergency has struck in the middle of Iranian New Year holidays, with many relief workers on vacation.

The situation is ‘critical’ in the provinces of Khuzestan, Lorestan and Kohgiluyeh-Va-Boyerahmad, as per Mehdi Jamalinejad, Deputy Interior Minister.

Iran’s meteorological service has warned of more heavy showers until Wednesday, forecasting as much as 15 centimetres (almost six inches) of rainfall in some western provinces in the next 24 hours.

The police have advised against road trips in the coming days. Many roads are blocked by flooding or landslides caused by heavy rains. Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport announced delays or cancellations of flights to the provinces.

The army has been called in to help the worst affected areas in Iran floods, and villages are being evacuated for fear of rivers and dams overflowing.

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