State of emergency declared in Iran's Khuzestan province amid flooding fears

Mar 31, 2019 09:56 Asia/Tehran [Updated: Oct 04, 2019 12:00 Asia/Tehran]

Flood-hit Khuzestan province

A state of emergency has been declared in the southwestern Iranian province of Khuzestan amid the threat of new flooding.

Iran Press/Iran news: Khuzestan’s Governor-General Gholam-Reza Shariati said the declaration of emergency had been approved by Interior Minister Abdol-Reza Rahmani-Fazli.

Shariati said the announcement was made after weather forecasts predicted provinces lying to Khuzestan’s north were to experience heavy downpours over the next 24 hours, leading to huge amounts of water moving downstream into Khuzestan and potentially causing rivers there to burst their banks, Iran Press reported.

The state of emergency announcement puts Khuzestan’s Crisis Management Headquarters on alert. Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian has also traveled to the province to closely monitor the situation there.

Five major rivers flow through Khuzestan province, including river Karoun — Iran’s biggest — multiplying the threat of flooding.

Meanwhile, 55 villages lying close to the rivers have been evacuated.

The governor-general said preemptive measures had been taken for the proper management of the quantity of water in dam reservoirs, the prevention of any casualties, and the minimization of damage. He also predicted that the situation would return to normal by the weekend as rainfall potentially subsides in nearby provinces.

Heavy rains triggered raging torrents of water in 25 of Iran’s 31 provinces on March 19.

The death toll from the recent flash floods across the country currently stands at 42, said Ahmad Shojaee, the head of Iran's Forensic Medicine Organization.

The Iranian government has mobilized to help the victims and minimize further loss of life or damage. 105/211

Iran Flood: death toll rise to 42 people