Dust Storm and Dust Particles Send Dozens to Hospitals in Kerman Province

On Thursday, November 28, the governor of the city of Rigan in Kerman Province reported that a "severe" dust storm accompanied by dust particles has sent over 230 people to medical centers in the city over the past two nights, with the amount of blowing sand being such that some individuals have been "trapped" in their homes. According to ISNA, Amin Bagheri, the governor of the county, stated that the dust particles have made the situation in Rigan "critical" and have forced people to stay indoors. He mentioned that on Wednesday, following the arrival of the blowing sand into the buildings of the county, several individuals became "trapped" in their homes. He also reported that the dust storm has "buried" the palm trees in the county and caused the collapse of crops in farms and orchards. The governor had previously reported that the concentration of dust particles led to a motorcycle leaving the road and injuring three people, as well as a car colliding with a pedestrian. According to Bagheri, the injured individuals from these incidents have been hospitalized. On Sunday, October 26, the governor had also reported that due to the increased concentration of dust particles, more than 70 people had visited medical centers. Bagheri noted that the recent dust storm was the eighteenth dust storm in the county, which has sent over 830 people to medical centers so far. Previously, IRNA reported that ten counties in Kerman Province are affected by dust particles. Meanwhile, Mohammad Eghbali Zadeh, the head of the Road and Urban Development Department in the city of Fahraj in Kerman Province, reported on Wednesday that part of the Fahraj-Zahidan road has been closed due to the occurrence of the dust storm in the area. Masoumeh Ebtekar, head of the Environmental Protection Organization, had visited Kerman on Thursday, October 16, to discuss the revival of the Jazmourian wetland and combating dust particles in the province. Reports indicate that the Jamouzian wetland has completely dried up in recent years due to a 15-year drought in Kerman. According to previous reports by Mehr News Agency, the area of the wetland's catchment is estimated to be 69,000 square kilometers, with the catchment area of the lake being 3,300 square kilometers during high water and 2,500 square kilometers during low water. In addition to the eastern provinces of Iran, the phenomenon of dust particles has repeatedly occurred in southern and western provinces such as Khuzestan, Ilam, and West Azerbaijan.