Continued Flooding in 10 Cities of Golestan; 9 People Have Died in Three Provinces

According to reports, in the recent floods in the provinces of Golestan, Mazandaran, and North Khorasan, 9 people have died and one person is missing. Flooding continues in 10 cities of Golestan province, with several villages and 70% of the city of Aq Qala submerged. Ali Abbasi, head of forensic medicine in Mazandaran, reported on Friday, April 2, that five people have died in the recent floods and one person is missing. Alireza Mozaffari, police chief of North Khorasan, reported on March 18 that two shepherds died due to flooding in the Maneh and Samalqan county in the west of this province. Meanwhile, according to IRNA news agency, two children died in the cities of Kalaleh and Minoodasht in Golestan province due to the floods. Ali Asghar Payvandi, head of the Red Crescent Society, announced on Friday that from March 16 to the morning of April 2, 37,363 flood victims in Golestan province have received assistance. According to Mr. Payvandi, of this number, 6,247 people have been provided with temporary shelter and 6,128 food packages have been distributed among the flood victims. Morteza Salimi, head of the Red Crescent Rescue Organization, also announced that flooding has occurred in the 10 cities of Golestan, including Gorgan, Bandar Torkaman, Gomishan, Azadshahr, Aq Qala, Gonbad Kavous, Bandar Gaz, Aliabad, Kalaleh, and Minoodasht. Meanwhile, Aman Gholi Zameer, the governor of the border county of Aq Qala in northwestern Golestan province, reported that about 70% of this city is submerged and remains surrounded by floods. According to the Aq Qala governor, 12 villages in this county are also surrounded by floods. Mir Mohammad Gharavi, deputy for urban development in Golestan province, reported that 9 villages in Aq Qala county are underwater. He stated that these villages had been evacuated. Meanwhile, the Iran newspaper reported that residents of some villages in Gomishan county are trapped in the floods, and people and rescuers are using boats to assist them. Ismail Najjar, deputy minister of the interior, reported on Friday that the floods have damaged more than 6,000 urban and rural homes in Mazandaran. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani instructed the Minister of Interior on Friday to mobilize necessary equipment and resources from neighboring areas in addition to existing facilities in the flood-affected provinces to manage flood-related issues, reduce damages, and provide any urgent assistance needed to flood victims. He also contacted the governor of Mazandaran and the deputy governor of Golestan to be updated on the latest situation in these provinces. There have been numerous criticisms on social media and some websites regarding the lack of assistance to certain flood-affected areas. Meanwhile, the absence of Manafi Hashemi, the governor of Golestan, in the province has drawn criticism from some websites and social media users. The Golestan governor's office has not provided an explanation for Mr. Hashemi's absence in the province. Some users have cited the recent floods' causes as 'deforestation' in previous years, construction in the riverbanks of Golestan province, and irresponsible exploitation of mines.