Tehran, Iran – More than 100 injured and 19 dead in the flash flooding that occurred in Tehran on Monday, 25 March. The Ministry of Interior warned the civilians to not take any trips and be cautious of the rains that may follow.
The Disaster Management Organisation had sent a nationwide message of attentiveness when picking routes near mountain and river banks.
The Mehrabad International Airport had cancelled or delayed all its flight in and out of Iran due to bad weather. Iran’s Meteorological Organisation on Wednesday predicted a flood due to heavy rain, thus informed twelve provinces to be on high alert.
A resident of Shiraz, impacted by the flood claimed, ‘that the flood comes in two sets of 15-minute heavy rainfalls, which cause the flood. Damage could have been controlled if people had evacuated the area as soon as they found out about the flood.’
Nowruz also known as the Iranian New Year is when the flood occurs, it is a holiday when many Iranians travel within the country.
President of Iran, Hassan Rouhani who was traveling to Qeshm Island had shortened his trip to offer his condolences to the flood victims while showing appreciation to the armed forces and the police for rescue operations.
Evacuations are being conducted in various areas of Iran as there is still a possibility of an overflow which keeps the citizens still at risk. The flood is likely to also impact tourism, as many bridges and villages have been destroyed.