NORTH EASTERN IRAN HIT BY HEAVY RAINS, CAUSING HUGE DAMAGES
TEHRAN 12 Aug. (IPS) More than 50 people were reported killed by Saturday evening due to heavy rains, flooding parts of north-eastern Iran, particularly the Province of Golestan, bordering the Caspian Sea and Turkmenistan, according to Iranian officials in the Capital Tehran.
As the National Weather Service reported more rain for the three days to come, the Province’s Governor said the death toll and destructions caused to both the region’s infrastructure and the agriculture would certainly increase as well.
Minoodasht, Kalaleh and Galykosh were among the cities hit the most by rainstorm, officials said, adding that land communications between Gonbad Kavoos, Golestan’s capital city with neighbouring Province of Khorasan as well as with tens of villages to the north have been cut.
Choppers of Iranian Air Force evacuated 700 of those hit by the heavy floods in the Province, the official news agency quoted an unidentified Air Force Commander, saying that 32 bodies were also taken from the flooded areas.
"The Air Force is going ahead with its relentless efforts to save the life of those stranded in the floods-hit spots", the commander assured, but other sources said bad weather was also rendering difficult rescue operations from the air.
Ground Force personnel have also joined the relief workers to assist those hit by the flooding, IRNA reported.
The heavy rains are hitting parts of Iran following three years of severe drought unseen in the past 30 years, placing the country at the top of wheat importing nations of the world, officials said.
Torrential rains caused devastating floods in many villages washing away farm lands and levelling hundreds of houses to the ground.
"Access roads have been destroyed and the bad weather has hampered the relief operations underway by the helicopters", the provincial official for natural disasters said.
"Many are believed to have gone missing", said the official, adding that the death toll seems to still growing. He called for further assistance and supplies for the flood-stricken people without commenting on the amount of damage.
Floods cut the main road between Tehran and the border with Turkmenistan; television reported Saturday, adding that the cabinet released funds to assist the disaster victims.
Local officials have called for essential supplies to be sent in, with tents and medicines for those affected.
One official estimated the damages to the region’s infrastructure and culture at more than 150 billions Rials (one US Dollars is changed in the black market against 7.500 Rials), saying that at least 15,000 hectares (37,000 acres) of farm land had been totally submerged under the floods, most bridges destroyed and water and electricity in many areas cut off. ENDS FLOODS 12801