Floods in southern Iran have claimed at least 22 lives and one person is missing following heavy rains in the largely arid country, state media reported on Saturday (July 23rd).
"
The number of people who died rose to 22 after the discovery of another body
" missing in the floods that affected several towns in the Estahban region and its surroundings, said the head of the local organization relief, Javad Moradian, quoted by the Mehr news agency.
“
Many locals and visitors had gone to the edge of the river when they were trapped by the rising waters
” late Friday afternoon, said Yousef Kargar, governor of the city of Estahban. , quoted by the official agency Irna.
Videos on social media and local media show cars falling into the Roodbal River and being washed away.
Iran has suffered from repeated droughts over the past decade, but also from regular floods due to torrential rains, a phenomenon aggravated by the aridity of the soil.
On Saturday, the first vice-president, Mohammad Mokhber, urged the governor of Fars province to investigate to shed light on this tragedy and compensate the victims, according to Irna.
Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi traveled to the region to "
supervise rescue operations and comfort the families of the deceased
", the same source said.
The province's metrological organization warned that "heavier
rainfall was possible at the end of this week
".
