Death toll in worst floods in decades in Iran’s Mashhad rises to 7

The fatalities of the worst flash floods in over 20 years in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad has risen to seven, according to the latest official figures.

The head of the Khorasan Razavi Province Reza Abbasi, in an update on Thursday morning, said at least seven people have died in the floods and three more are missing in the flash floods hitting the provincial capital and its neighborhoods.

Heavy downpours hit the province, mainly the capital Mashhad, on Wednesday and clogged the streets. Many vehicles also got stuck in the floods.

Abbasi said Red Crescent Society rescue teams and military forces have been dispatched to the affected areas.

Enqelab Square in Mashhad is the hardest hit area and it will take more time to return back to normal.

Other cities in the province, including Fariman and Torghabeh, were also flooded.

Some scientists, like prominent oceanographer Dr. Abdolmajid Naderi Beni, believe that the rainfalls are the result of El Nino, a climate pattern that originates in the Pacific Ocean along the Equator that impacts the weather all over the world.

IFP Editorial Staff

The IFP Editorial Staff is composed of dozens of skilled journalists, news-writers, and analysts whose works are edited and published by experienced editors specialized in Iran News. The editor of each IFP Service is responsible for the report published by the Iran Front Page (IFP) news website, and can be contacted through the ways mentioned in the "IFP Editorial Staff" section.