Iran: Warnings of Fresh Floods lead to Mass Evacuations

The authorities in southern Iran have got many villages and towns evacuated as warnings for a fresh round of floods had been issued especially in the regions which are sharing the border with Iraq which is home to many rivers and dams. It was in March when the region experienced continuous flooding which has so far claimed nearly 70 lives, devastated vital infrastructure and even displaced many thousands of people in the area.

It was on Saturday when the Chazabeh border had been shut down by Iraq officially after the Iranian government had banned travelling and even trade through the border in addition to flood warnings in Khuzestan which lies in the south of Iran. The customs department of Khuzestan has asked the trading companies to make use of another border crossing in the south for the trade. The road which connects the border passes through the lands which lie around the river Karkheh. Latter is also expected to carry the floodwaters as emergency discharge has also been ordered in the dam for combating the pressure of water.

There are three major rivers which pass through various villages, towns and cities in Khuzestan which also includes the Karoun River which passes through the provincial capital Ahvaz. It is expected that the flooding will affect around 400,000 people in the province of Khuzestan itself out of 4.7 million residents in the area. Heavy rainfall is also expected in the north-eastern provinces which also includes the city of Mashhad.

In the Lorestan Province in the western part of the country, the flash floods led to the displacement of thousands of people amid acute chaos and panic. Many villages of the province were completely displaced while the damaged infrastructure had completely stalled the emergency relief efforts. As per the official figures, roads to around 275 villages had been completely blocked. It is also been reported that the damages which have been caused by the recent floods are completely unprecedented and have not been heard of in the last century. Most of the damage had occurred during the Iranian New Year holiday when most of the Iranians travel thereby leaving many thousands stranded in their homes or the destination of their holidays.