Death Toll Rises in Gilan Snow Disasters; Power and Water Cut Off in 65% of Homes

Reports from northern Iran indicate that the number of people killed due to heavy snowfall in Gilan has risen to eight, and the number of injured in these incidents has increased to 112 people.

Meanwhile, according to a parliamentary representative, electricity to 65% of homes and water to 70% of residential units remain cut off.

According to IRIB news agency, a 55-year-old man fell from the roof of his home in the village of Lask Shaft while clearing snow and died from the severity of his injuries.

In recent days, snow slides and avalanches in Gilan had left seven dead and 78 injured.

By Wednesday evening, the number of people injured in incidents caused by snowfall in Gilan province had reached 112.

Ismail Najar, head of Iran’s Crisis Management Organization, said on Wednesday that snow depth in some areas exceeds 70 centimeters.

Heavy snowfall that began Sunday evening in various areas of Gilan province caused power and water outages in different cities and blocked the Rasht-Qazvin highway and several other main and rural roads.

Hussein Mohammadpour, head of Gilan’s traffic police, said that the Tehran-Rasht road has not yet been fully reopened.

Mehrdad Lahooti, representative of Langarud in parliament, also said that all rural roads in the province are closed and there is no information from villagers.

He said that 65% of homes still lack electricity and 70% of residential units lack water.

According to Lahooti, despite the fact that snowfall was predicted two weeks in advance, the province’s crisis management “performed poorly.”

At 14:23 Wednesday afternoon, a 4.5-magnitude earthquake shook the city of Ahmad Sargoorab in Shaft city, but this earthquake caused no fatalities.

Snow in several other Iranian provinces, including Ardabil, has caused roads to close.

The Ardabil Red Crescent Society announced on Wednesday that 751 people have been provided emergency shelter in the past 48 hours.

Ali Rahmati, director-general of roads in Ardabil province, also said that roads to 800 villages have been opened but roads to 255 villages remain blocked.

Also according to IRIB news agency, roads to 400 villages in East Azerbaijan province are closed.

Source: Radio Farda