7/23/2022 11:26 am (act 7/23/2022 11:26 am)
Rescue teams respond to floods ©APA/Iranian Red Crescent
At least 21 people died in floods in Iran. Two others are still missing, Hossein Darwishi of the Red Cross told state television on Saturday. Heavy rains caused flooding in Ij and Rudbal, near the city of Estahban in Fars province in southern Iran. According to the governor of Estahban, Jusef Kargar, 55 rescue teams have been mobilized.
The tragedy happened on a summer weekend in Iran, when many families seek cooler places, such as the banks of rivers and lakes. Several residents and hikers were hit by the bodies of water on the riverbank, Kargar said. Videos posted online showed cars being swept away by the flood waters of the Rudbal River and washed down to the coast.
Iran has experienced several droughts in the last ten years, but also repeated floods. In 2019, at least 76 people died in severe flooding in the south of the country. The flood caused damage estimated at over $2 billion. According to experts, climate change is increasing these extreme weather events.
Thousands of people have demonstrated in Iran in recent months because several waterways have dried up. In mid-July, there were protests after the particularly salty Lake Urmia dried up. This development, which began in the 1990s, is considered an ecological disaster. Iran is also repeatedly hit by sandstorms, meaning people with breathing difficulties need to be hospitalized.