Iran. Floods near Tehran, dozens dead, search for missing persons

Since Wednesday, areas near the Iranian capital, Tehran, have been inundated with water. The death toll has risen to 53 and 16 people are still wanted.

Mohsen Mansouri, the governor of Tehran, said the area hardest hit by the floods on Friday was Firouzkoh, located on the slopes of the Alborz Mountains, northeast of the capital, Tehran, where at least 10 people were killed. The city is located about 140 kilometers from the capital and is a popular vacation spot due to the low temperature in summer.

State media reported that at least eight people died on Thursday in a landslide triggered by flooding at another tourist destination, Imamzadeh Daoud, northwest of Tehran.

A total of 400 towns and villages in 18 out of Iran’s 31 provinces were affected by the torrential rains, Mehdi Valipur, head of crisis operations for the Iranian branch of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, told state television. Many highways have been closed.

A few days ago, 21 people died in floods in Fars Province in southwestern Iran.

In 2019, torrential rains in the south of the country killed more than 75 people and caused damage estimated at more than $2 billion.