Iran president visits flood-hit zones as death toll hits 43

A handout picture provided by the Iranian presidency on March 27, 2019, shows Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (2nd R) during a visit to areas affected by floods in the country’s northeastern Golestan region. – Iran battled torrential rain and floods across most of the country yesterday, warning citizens to stay vigilant after unprecedented flash flooding killed 23 people. The authorities also announced for the first time that seven people were killed a week ago in separate floods that swept the northeastern provinces of Golestan and Mazandaran. (Photo by HO / Iranian Presidency / AFP) / 

President Hassan Rouhani travelled to flood-hit zones of Iran for the first time Wednesday after nine days of heavy rains that have inundated most of the country and killed 43 people.

The authorities have been struggling to cope with flooding after extreme rainfall which at times has been equivalent to half of the average annual levels within 24 hours.

The disaster, which one government minister blamed on climate change, struck in the middle of Iranian New Year break, with many relief workers on leave and millions of holidaymakers on the roads.

“When suddenly 25 out of 31, and on some days all provinces are struck (by flooding), this may be an unprecedented phenomenon,” Rouhani said in Tehran, quoted by the government’s website.