Iraq's Ammar Hakim Offers Sympathies for Flood-Hit Iranians

Head of the National Wisdom Movement of Iraq Ammar Hakim in a message sympathized with the Iranian government and people over the recent deadly floods.

News ID: 444067

Date: 30 March 2019 - 13:31

RNA - "I urge Iran and Iraq to implement a joint and urgent plan to curb floods and river outburst," Hakim wrote in his message.

He also hoped for swift recovery of those injured in recent floods in Iran.

Earlier, ambassadors of the UK, Norway, Austria, the UN Information Center (UNIC) and head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State Pope Francis in separate messages expressed their condolences over the deadly incident.

The death toll from major floods swamping much of Iran has risen to 35, officials said, as authorities sent safety warnings to mobile phones across the country.

Acting Director of the Crisis Management Department of Iran's Forensics Organization Mehrdad Ali Bakhshi made the remarks on Wednesday.

"In the second wave of showers 18 people in Shiraz (Fars province) were killed in floods, 1 in Khuzestan, 1 in Kohgilouyeh and Boyer Ahmad, 3 in Golestan, 2 in Lorestan and 1 in Semnan," Ali Bakhshi said.

He added that in the first round of the recent floods in Iran unfortunately 9 people had also been killed in Mazandaran, Golestan and North Khorassan provinces.

The tragedy started in the four Northern provinces of Mazandaran, Golestan, Semnan and North Khorassan on March 20. Thirty provinces of Iran have been hit by severe weather conditions since then.

According to Fars News Agancy, over 56,000 people have been affected in various cities and rural areas in Golestan and Mazandaran as a result of heavy rainfall that hit the two provinces on March 19 and 20.

While the nation was shocked by the casualties and magnitude of destructions in the Northern regions of the country, another round of floods hit the country in the Western and Southwestern provinces last Monday.

The most shocking images were relayed from Shiraz, a very popular tourist destination homing historical monuments from ancient times to the present age, where the Northern opening gate of the city witnessed a tragic pileup of cars swept away by a flash flood.

The Gate of Quran has been built on a dry river bed and ten minutes after the start of sudden torrential rains at around 11:00 a.m local time last Monday more than 50 cars were washed away to the down of the slope into the city. Hitting trees and other streets signs and curbs the overrun cars piled up one another a kilometer down from the city gate.

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