Flash Floods in Southern Iran Kill at Least 21
Flash floods in southern Iran have killed at least 21 people. The weekend floods were the worst in the city of Estahban, where the water level of the Roudbal river rose quickly due to heavy rainfall, submerging at least 15 cars. Video footage of the floods showed parents frantically trying to rescue their children from the submerged vehicles. Some 150 emergency responders and a rescue helicopter were working to rescue people in Estahban, where many families had headed to the banks of the river to escape the extreme heat. At least 55 people were rescued. The heavy rains that led to the flooding began on Friday afternoon; because Iran has been suffering from serious drought, the hard, sunbaked earth was unable to absorb the falling rain. This is not the first time that southern Iran has experienced heavy flooding. In 2019, at least 76 people died due to such floods. Ironically, demonstrations in recent months in southwestern and central Iran have taken place against the drying up of rivers in the area and the inability of the government to deal with the ramifications of the damaging drought. Meanwhile, heavy rainfall led to flash floods and the collapse of a building in Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, which together killed 10 people, including four children.