Flooding in Iran kills seven, injures dozens

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A wave of storms and floods across several provinces in northern and central Iran over the past two days has killed at least seven people and injured nearly 60, state media reported. 

The flooding in Iran’s Isfahan, Mazandaran, and Alborz provinces resulted in seven people losing their lives and 59 others were injured, said Jaafar Miadfar, head of the country’s emergency organization. 

Iran’s Crisis Management Organization issued a warning about the risk of flooding in 21 provinces through to Sunday, according to state media. The warning urges citizens to refrain from “traveling through mountains and camping near rivers” due to the risk of rock falls and landslides. 

A series of deadly floods last July wreaked havoc on Iran, killing at least 80 people and injuring 30 others, with 35 people losing their lives in Tehran province alone.

The agricultural damages from last year’s floods totaled more than $200 million, the agricultural minister said at the time. 

Iran has struggled with repeated droughts over the past decade as well as regular floods, which are worsened when torrential rain falls on sun-baked earth. 

In 2019, heavy rains in southern Iran left at least 76 people dead and caused damages estimated at over $2 billion.