Flood in Iran; Death toll rises to “44” and warning to “rumor spreaders”

The number of victims of the recent floods in Iran has reached “44 people.” More than 29,000 flood victims have found “emergency housing.” According to NAJA, 27 highways in the country have been closed. A judicial official has also warned “rumor spreaders” on cyberspace.

Heavy rain and flooding in recent days have caused heavy casualties and damage in most provinces of Iran, leaving tens of thousands of people homeless. Morteza Salimi, head of the Iranian Red Crescent Relief and Rescue Organization, announced today, Thursday, March 28, that more than 29,000 flood victims have been “emergency and temporary” resettled.

According to this Iranian Red Crescent official, from the 4th to the morning of today, the 8th of Farvardin, "relief operations were underway in all provinces of the country except Alborz Province."

“A total of 56,585 people have been provided with relief services in the past four days, of which 29,030 were given emergency shelter and five injured people in need of care were transferred to medical centers and hospitals,” Morteza Salimi told state news agency IRNA. The Iranian Red Crescent official added that “relief services are continuing in 14 provinces of the country.”

The number of victims has increased to “44 people.”

Hamidreza Khanke, deputy head of the "Country Emergency Organization in Crisis," said on Thursday that the death toll from recent weather disasters in Iran has reached 44.

According to Mehr News Agency, the official of Iran's Emergency Organization added: "21 people have died in Fars Province, 7 in Golestan, 5 in Mazandaran, 3 in North Khorasan, 2 in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, one in Kermanshah, one in Khuzestan, two in Lorestan, one in Hamedan, and one in Semnan."

Yesterday, the public relations report of the Iranian Forensic Medicine Organization announced the death toll from the floods and heavy rainfall in the past few days in the country at 40. Mehrdad Bakhshi, deputy head of crisis management at the Iranian Forensic Medicine Organization, said about the death toll from the recent floods in various provinces: “In the second wave of rainfall, 19 people died in Shiraz city (Fars province), 1 person in Khuzestan province, 2 people in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad provinces, 5 people in Golestan province (boat capsizing), 2 people in Lorestan province (falling debris), 1 person in Semnan province, and 1 person in Kermanshah province (Sarpol-e-Zahab) due to the floods.”

The deputy head of crisis management at the Iranian Forensic Medicine Organization also added about the “death statistics of the first wave of rainfall (before the incident in Shiraz two days ago)”: “Unfortunately, 9 compatriots lost their lives in the first wave of rainfall in the provinces of Mazandaran, Golestan, and North Khorasan.”

Blockage of 27 communication axes

Nader Rahmani, head of the Iranian National Police's Traffic Police and Intelligence Center, announced on Thursday that 27 of the country's communication routes would be closed "until further notice." The same official had announced the previous day that 24 of Iran's communication routes would be closed.

Mehr News Agency, citing the head of the NAJA Traffic Police and Information Center, reported that the blocked roads are located in most provinces of Iran, including Tehran, Alborz, Golestan, Semnan, Gilan, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad, Hamedan, Kurdistan, Mazandaran, Ilam, Khuzestan, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Lorestan, Bushehr, Khorasan Razavi, South Khorasan, and Qom.

The reasons for the blockage of these communication axes include "insufficient safety", "mountain collapse", "icing", "flooding and destruction" of bridges and roads, "landslides", "flooding", "rising water levels and river overflows", and "flooding and road subsidence".

Another warning to “rumor spreaders”

The recent flood in Iran was widely covered in cyberspace and social networks, in addition to the official media and sources of the Islamic Republic, with a wealth of news and images. In addition to publishing news and images, users of these networks have addressed issues such as the possible causes of the flood, the damages caused by it, how to deal with the consequences of this natural disaster, and the role of "mismanagement" in the flood.

Some of these reports and comments have been met with strong reactions from Iranian government and judicial officials. Javad Javidnia, the deputy attorney general for cyberspace affairs, said on Thursday, referring to the “rumors” spread about the recent floods in Iran: “The deputy attorney general for cyberspace has asked the FATA police to monitor the rumors and deal with the producers and publishers of fake news.”

Javidnia added that "all cases of spreading lies, disturbing public opinion, and spreading rumors in the current situation" will be dealt with, and "action will also be taken against the producers of these rumors, as well as those who spread them without considering the truthfulness of the news." This judicial official emphasized that "the spreaders of rumors" themselves will be considered "partners in crime."

The Iranian “Information Production and Exchange Space” police, known as FATA, also announced yesterday that it would “deal with rumor mongers” about the recent floods in the country. According to ISNA, Ramin Pashaei, deputy head of the FATA social police, said that “the police will take legal action against people who want to cause public concern and disrupt the peace of society by spreading rumors about the recent floods in cyberspace.”

The FATA police official added: “For the past few days, images of the flood and its side effects have been circulating in cyberspace, and they talk about financial and human losses. With a little thought and attention, it can be understood that these images are from flood damage abroad or related to past incidents.” He also called on cyberspace users to ignore the news published in cyberspace and to follow news related to the rainfall and floods “only” through the official and “reliable” media of the Islamic Republic.

Almost simultaneously with this FATA police official, the Attorney General of Iran also linked the “spreading of false news” about the flood to “national security” and announced that those responsible for spreading such news would be “dealt with.” Mohammad Jafar Montazeri had said: “In the first stage, the sources of spreading false news must be identified, and once the sources of such news are identified, they will be dealt with.”

Iran's Attorney General also emphasized that dealing with "those who seek to disrupt the country's security" is on the "agenda."

Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, the Minister of Interior of the Islamic Republic of Iran, also announced last Monday evening, referring to “some mistreatment in cyberspace regarding the government’s performance in the Golestan flood,” that he had told “judicial authorities and the prosecutor’s office” to “take legal action against those spreading false news and falsehoods who seek to exaggerate the problems of the flooded areas.”

The Iranian Interior Minister complained about "some mistreatment in cyberspace regarding the government's performance in the Golestan flood" and said: "Some people on social networks and cyberspace are seeking to unravel political complexities and do not hesitate to take every opportunity, even to show the suffering of the people, to attract more votes at the ballot boxes."

Supporters of the Rouhani government attribute some of the news published on social media to the government’s extremist opponents. Among these news was the publication of a statement attributed to Manaf Hashemi, the former governor of Golestan. Manaf Hashemi, who was heavily criticized by the media and social media users for being abroad at the same time as the floods in Golestan province, was dismissed from his post as governor of Golestan by Eshaq Jahangiri, the first vice president of Iran.

A news report attributed to Manaf Hashemi stated that after his removal from office, he had “disclosed” that “20 governors and 100 members of parliament” were also abroad at the same time as him. This news was later denied by the spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Interior and by Manaf Hashemi himself.

Source: DW