The Iranian Red Crescent are reporting that, based on initial assessment reports from their Relief and Rescue Organisation, at least 11 people have been killed, 30 injured and 12 people listed as missing in unseasonable flash floods in ten provinces of Iran during the last two days.
The statement said:
The flooding, triggered by torrential rains, affected several counties in 10 provinces including 2 counties in Alborz, 2 in Tehran, 10 in Mazandaran, 3 in Qazvin, 1 in Khorasane-Shomali, 3 in Kurdestan, 1 in Kerman, 2 in Semnan, 1 in Zanjan and 1 in Azerbaijane-Gharbi so far.
The flood has caused widespread damage and destroyed infrastructure in at least 37 villages including 3 in Alborz, 3 in Tehran, 15 in Mazandaran, 6 in Qazvin, 4 in Khrasane-Shomali and 6 in Kerman. Reportedly, some villages are inundated by water and most of access routes are cut-off. About 90 houses including 73 in Mazandaran, 5 in Qazvin, 6 in Kurdestan, 1 in Zanjan and 5 in Azerbaijane-Gharbi provinces have been reported as damaged.
Tehran, Alborz Province and Mazandaran Province
The Red Crescent were unable to specify where the deaths occurred, although they did say that so far no casualties have been reported in Tehran.
Iran’s state news agency, IRNA, reported earlier today that at least eight people had died in floods in the northern province of Alborz, north-west of Tehran, on Sunday, 19 July 2015.
The floods were triggered by torrential rains and forced the Karaj river to overflow. Quoted by Iran’s news agency, IRNA, Mohammad-Taqi Irani, deputy governor of Alborz province, said that at least 25 cars had been swept away by the overflowing river. At least 8 bodies have been recovered and around 30 people have been reported injured. Rescue teams are still searching the riverbanks for missing people.
According to IRNA, many of the victims were thought to have been travelling on the Chalus road, a mountainous road that connects Tehran and Alborz province to Mazandaran province and popular tourist attractions in northern Iran.
Also on Sunday 19 July, a combined thunder- and sand-storm hit the capital Tehran and its suburbs at 19:00 hours local time, causing injuries to 16 people.
Mazandaran Province also saw high levels of rainfall. In a 24 hour period between 19 and 20 July 2015, 82mm of rain fell in Babolsar, 165 mm in Noshahr and 85mm in Ramsar.
Disaster Response
The Iranian Red Crescent reported that 94 teams of rescue and relief workers are responding to the crisis. The teams are equipped with relief and rescue equipment, water pumps, sniffer dogs and various vehicles, including ambulances. So far 630 people have been sheltered and 6,000 people received the relief and rescue services.
