Record Death Toll in Tehran Broken in Past 50 Years
Domestic Iranian media have reported a critical and acute situation in Tehran during the second week of the fourth wave of coronavirus.
In this regard, Moshreh News reported on Wednesday by publishing a video quoting the CEO of Behesht-e Zahra cemetery in Tehran that the death toll on Tuesday, April 20, was described as unprecedented in the past 50 years, writing that in the past 50 years “we have not had such mortality statistics in one day, not even during the 8 years of the sacred defense.”
According to Saeed Khaal, Tehran on Tuesday “had 150 coronavirus deaths and 200 non-coronavirus deaths and was the most difficult working day for his colleagues.”
Simultaneously, Eghtesad News published photos from Majid Ghomkhavar, a news reporter, showing the installation of four-story prefabricated graves at Behesht-e Zahra cemetery in Tehran.
Earlier, Reza Karmi Mohammadi, head of the Crisis Prevention and Management Organization of Tehran Municipality, had warned that if coronavirus conditions worsen, “the capacity of morgues will probably no longer be sufficient for the deceased.”
The IRNA news agency reported on Tuesday, quoting Mr. Karmi Mohammadi, that approximately one-third of the death toll reported daily “belongs to Tehran and its suburbs and the situation is not good.”
Reza Karmi Mohammadi explicitly stated that “when the number of deaths increases, [cemetery staff] may not be able to carry out burials on the same day and it may be postponed to the next day.”
The number of coronavirus patients and victims in Iran increased following the Nowruz holidays at a time when Minoo Mehrraz, a member of the scientific committee of the National Coronavirus Taskforce, told Misan news agency that even with the beginning of Ramadan in Iran, “the situation has not changed and the streets are very crowded.”
The Hassan Rouhani government refrained from implementing strict preventive measures to prevent Nowruz travel, and after the Nowruz holidays, coronavirus statistics increased sharply.
Alirezah Zali, commander of the coronavirus control headquarters, told Iran newspaper on Tuesday, April 20, that Tehran had the highest share of prevalence rates, mortality, and hospitalizations and is in a critical situation, with conditions reported to be more critical each week than the previous week.
The commander of the coronavirus control headquarters in Tehran warned about Tehran’s dangerous situation and said he is concerned about “high circulation of the virus commonly referred to in English” in Tehran’s future.
Source: Radio Farda
