Tragic flooding in southern Iran claims 15 lives

A devastating flash flood in Jiroft, a city in southern Iran, has resulted in the deaths of 15 individuals, according to state media reports on October 1.

Most of the victims were identified as Afghan nationals residing in Iran, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

The official IRNA news agency announced the recovery of the last body from the Halil River flood incident, confirming the total death toll. The search and rescue operations have now concluded.

This figure marks a significant increase from an earlier report that indicated six fatalities.

Jiroft is situated in the typically arid Kerman province, where climate change has been linked to extreme weather events, including both droughts and intensified rainstorms.

Over the past decade, Iran has experienced a cycle of severe droughts interspersed with heavy flooding, a situation exacerbated when intense rainfall strikes parched ground.

In 2022, similar heavy rains in southern Iran led to at least 80 deaths and caused damages estimated at around $200 million.

By Aghakazim Guliyev