Floods in Iran; 67 villages evacuated in Khuzestan

In Khuzestan, 67 flood-prone villages have been evacuated. Local officials say the number of areas at risk of flooding is increasing. In Durud and Azna, 38 villages are also surrounded by floodwaters, and 250 villages in Delfan remain cut off.

● Floods in Iran; Crisis Management's sharp response to the remarks of the IRGC General

The country's Crisis Management Organization, in response to the statements of Brigadier General Pakpour, commander of the IRGC Ground Forces, regarding the situation of the flood-affected people of Pol-e Dokhtar, announced that the remarks of the IRGC general "were interpreted to weaken relief services in the region."

Speaking to the media at Khorramabad Airport on Tuesday evening, after returning from the flooded city of Pol-e-Dokhtar, Sardar Mohammad Pakpour accused government officials of indifference towards the flood-affected people of the area. He said: “There are many problems and there is no management. No government official dares to go to Pol-e-Dokhtar; the situation in this city is not favorable following the floods.”

Sardar Pakpour added: "The people of Pol Dokhtar are in a very miserable situation, and the situation in the villages and the city of Pol Dokhtar is very inappropriate. The people are disobedient and unhappy, but they told us that you are the guards and they respected you."

The country's Crisis Management Organization reacted to the remarks of the IRGC Ground Forces commander on Wednesday, April 4. The organization wrote in a statement that Sardar Pakpour arrived in Pol-e-Dokhtar an hour after rescuers removed extensive transportation obstacles, and that "his description of the conditions in the region was the result of a major natural crisis in the region."

The Crisis Management Organization said that Sardar Pakpour's media statements "certainly, in addition to disappointing and disappointing the affected and trapped people as well as the general public of the country, unintentionally cause joy and happiness for the enemies of the revolution and target the entire Islamic system."

The announcement adds that the IRGC is a member of the Crisis Management Headquarters and "it was expected that the respected commander of the IRGC Ground Forces, after observing the shortcomings, would immediately report the matter to the relevant officials, including the governor, Red Crescent officials, the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Agricultural Jihad, the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, the Ministry of Health, and other relief agencies, and if it was determined that the problem in the region was not capable of being solved, they would transfer it to the country's Crisis Management Organization."
● Evacuation of 67 villages in Khuzestan

While the flood has cut off communication between dozens of villages in Lorestan province, the flood is advancing in Khuzestan. Kiamarth Hajizadeh, the director general of the Khuzestan Crisis Headquarters, says that so far 67 villages at risk in Khuzestan have been evacuated along the three watersheds of Dez, Karkheh and Karun. Hajizadeh told ISNA: So far, 11 villages have been evacuated in Shush, 9 villages in Dezful, 27 villages in Shushtar, 1 village in Shadegan, 1 village in Dasht-e Azadegan, 13 villages in Ahvaz and part of the Seyed Khalaf region of Ahvaz, and four villages in Karun county.

The local official in Khuzestan province added: "This number is still increasing, and we are constantly warning villages and cities at risk so that they too can evacuate."
● 250 villages in Delfan remain disconnected

Heshmat Bahmani, the governor of Delfan, Lorestan, told IRNA on Wednesday, April 4: "Land communication between 250 villages in this county is still cut off, and the lack of facilities has caused delays in reopening rural routes."

According to the governor of Delfan, the roads to these villages have been closed for the past two days due to landslides, rockfalls, and the destruction of more than 40 rural bridges. 35 villages in this county still do not have electricity, and 60 villages are without drinking water.

Bahmani added: "The rain has stopped in the city, but there is still water in the homes of some urban neighborhoods, including the slaughterhouse, the municipality, Ulfat Abad, Basijian Town, Khorram Maskan, and Farhangian."

The governor of Delfan requested the dispatch of helicopters to provide relief and transport patients to some villages.

On Monday, April 12, the three Khorram Rud rivers and the rivers of Delfan, Kohdasht, Selsele, Pol-e Dokhtar, Mokhalan, Borujerd and Chegni cities overflowed and the Maruk-e Doroud Dam overflowed, warning hundreds of thousands of residents to leave their homes. Electricity, water and gas were cut off in many urban and rural areas of these areas, and many bridges on main and secondary roads collapsed.

● 38 villages are surrounded by floods

Majid Kianpour, a representative of the people of Durud and Azna in the parliament, told ISNA that 38 villages in the region are surrounded by floods. Regarding the general situation in Lorestan province, Kianpour also said: "Unfortunately, the cities of Durud, Noorabad, Pol-e-Dokhtar, Khorramabad and Kohdasht are struggling with floods."

According to the MP, the situation in Durud and Azna is critical and may even exceed the red status. Currently, more than 13 villages have lost communication routes and 11 villages have no electricity. Eight villages are surrounded by floods, and the flood has reached 20 villages and caused great damage to them.

● Drinking water is still cut off in 18 villages in Kermanshah

On Wednesday, April 4, Kermanshah Governor Houshang Bazvand told IRNA that drinking water is still cut off in 18 villages in the province, whose water supply systems were disrupted by flooding over the past two days.

According to the governor of Kermanshah, heavy rains in the past few days have also caused extensive damage to 400 bridge spans and waterways in the province. Currently, communication routes in all flooded areas of the province have been reopened and traffic is flowing, and alternative routes are being used on some roads where bridges need time to be rebuilt.

Bazvand also said that the waters of the Gamasyab and Qarasu rivers are receding and people are slowly returning to their homes.

In the past two days, the east and southeast of Kermanshah province, including the counties of Harsin, Kangavar, Sahneh, and Sonqor, have been affected by heavy rain and flooding.
● A river in Qom killed one person

Mehdi Farahani, spokesman for Qom's emergency services, said: "The roar of the river in Qom and the carelessness of a non-native took his life."

This incident occurred on Tuesday, April 4, in the village of "Banabaran".

Farahani said that unfortunately, despite all the advice and warnings, the raging river in Qom and the carelessness of a non-native person took his life. Despite the presence of an emergency helicopter and an emergency ambulance, it was not possible to provide medical treatment to the drowned person, and the flood caused his death.
● Airports in flooded areas are operational.

Ali Abedzadeh, head of the Civil Aviation Organization, announced the resumption of flights in flooded areas and stated: "Airports suffered minimal damage in the recent rains and are all active and operational."

Amir Mukari, CEO of the Airports and Air Navigation Company, also said that there was not much damage to the country's airports during the recent rains and floods. Except for a few airports such as Ilam and Yasuj, where we were forced to demolish the walls next to the airport to allow water to pass through, there was no damage to other airports.

According to Amir Mokri, only the runway of Khorramabad Airport was flooded for 24 hours, but the parking lot and apron were not flooded. Khorramabad Airport is now operational, and whether the water intrusion has affected the runway will be determined after a few days and the water has completely dried up.

● New rain system to arrive in Iran on Saturday
While vast areas in western Iran are struggling with the consequences of the torrential rains of the past two days, the country's Meteorological Organization announced: A new precipitation system will enter the country from the western strip on Saturday next week, April 7th.
Amin Hossein Naghshineh, an expert at the Iranian Meteorological Organization, told IRNA on Wednesday, April 4, that we will witness significant rainfall in the provinces of Khuzestan, Lorestan, Ilam, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Kohgiluyeh, and Boyer Ahmad.
He continued: "Of course, the Meteorological Organization will issue an announcement regarding this rainfall system today, Wednesday or tomorrow, Thursday, which will provide detailed details of the overflowing or flooding of rivers in various regions and sectors involved in this system."
According to this expert, areas such as Khuzestan, Kermanshah, Ilam, Kohgiluyeh, and Boyer-Ahmad, which will be affected by this new rainfall system, are currently considered flood areas, so we will again see an increase in the volume of river water.

Source: DW