Floods Strike Five Additional Iranian Provinces; At Least Seven Dead in Bushehr and Hormozgan

Reports from Iran indicate that floods have affected more than seven provinces across the country, with at least seven people losing their lives in the provinces of Bushehr and Hormozgan.

On Sunday, December 7, the CEO of the Red Crescent Society of Bushehr Province announced the discovery and identification of the body of a 35-year-old woman who drowned in the Dasht Estan flood.

Gholamreza Hajiani told the ISNA news agency that the woman’s body was found in the city of Borazjan after several hours of search.

Additionally, a mountain collapse in the village of Suk in the province claimed the life of another young woman.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Baqer Mohammadi, Deputy Operations Manager of the Red Crescent Society’s Search and Rescue Organization, told the Farsi news agency that following a severe flood in the Sarkouh area on Saturday in the Parsian region on the border between Hormozgan and Fars provinces, five people from two families drowned.

He said that in this incident, two Peugeot 405 and Peugeot Pars pickup trucks with a total of five occupants were caught in the flood while crossing a secondary road, and unfortunately all occupants lost their lives.

On the other hand, the CEO of the Red Crescent Society of Bushehr Province stated that following rainfall, the northern and central parts of the province, from Dilam to Dasht Estan, have been inundated, with the greatest damage in Dasht Estan.

According to Gholamreza Hajiani, in some areas of Dasht Estan and Ganave in Bushehr Province, floods blocked roads and thoroughfares in a short period of time.

In recent days, severe rainfall has submerged parts of populated areas in Khuzestan Province.

Since last night, five provinces—Isfahan, Bushehr, Fars, Hormozgan, and Yazd—have been affected by severe rainfall and flooding.

Hosein Daroushi, CEO of the Red Crescent Society of Fars Province, told IRNA that since the evening of December 6, ten cities and towns in the province—Abadeh, Estahban, Marvdasht, Rostam, Khonj, Shiraz, Arsanjan, Mamsani, Neyriz, and Khormobid—have been affected by floods and water accumulation.

He said that in all branches of the Red Crescent Society in the cities of Fars Province, despite the orange and red COVID-19 situations, full alert status has been declared.

The head of the Red Crescent Society’s Search and Rescue Organization also reported that 950 people have been provided assistance following the occurrence of floods and water accumulation in five provinces across the country since this morning.

Mehdi Valipour, in a conversation with ISNA, stated that rescue workers from the Search and Rescue Organization have conducted operations over the past 12 hours in 26 cities, villages, and nomadic areas from these five provinces, resulting in assistance being provided to 950 people and emergency shelter being given to 40 people.

According to him, during this period, water evacuation operations have been carried out in 69 residential units, and 23 vehicles have also been pulled out of water and mud.

The spokesperson for the National Crisis Management Organization also said: “Previously, a red alert level was issued for Bushehr, Fars, and Khuzestan provinces.”

Ali Bakhtiari stated that the greatest damage was related to Bushehr, and in this province, within 24 hours, we witnessed rainfall of 160, 90, and 50 millimeters in Dasht Estan, Ganave, and Dilam respectively.

According to him, rainfall in the city of Dilam has resulted in water accumulation in approximately 40 villages.

Mr. Bakhtiari added that the Bushehr to Shiraz route has been blocked due to a mountain collapse in the vicinity of the Daryagholi tunnel. Additionally, the routes from Bushehr to Khuzestan, Dilam to Behbahan, Hendijan-Borazjan to Ganave in the city of Shabankarah, and Borazjan to Kazeroun have also been blocked due to road flooding.

“Special Order” from Ibrahim Raisi

Meanwhile, one day after flood-affected residents gathered in Khuzestan in front of the judicial court and the municipality of Imam Khomeini Port and chanted slogans against officials, Ibrahim Raisi, head of the judiciary, issued a “special order” to the head of the State Inspection Organization, tasking him to personally travel to Khuzestan to investigate the dimensions of the issue.

According to Farsi news agency, Mr. Raisi, in a letter, referred to the recurrence of incidents resulting from water accumulation in streets in various cities of Khuzestan Province and the emergence of “serious and unbearable problems” for the residents of that region, and stated that these incidents “indicate negligence and dereliction of duty by officials in managing water and sewage in the province.”

He told the head of the State Inspection Organization to travel to Khuzestan Province as soon as possible, personally accompanied by a team of “experienced experts,” to investigate the causes and dimensions of this situation, identify the negligence and liability of each national and provincial official, and submit the matter for judicial review.

Following public protests on Saturday, the mayor of Imam Khomeini Port in Khuzestan was dismissed from his position.

Source: Radio Farda