A state of emergency has been declared in the southwestern Iranian province of Khuzestan amid threats of fresh flooding.
Khuzestan’s Governor-General Qolam-Reza Shariati said the declaration of emergency had been approved by Interior Minister Abdol-Reza Rahmani-Fazli, IRNA reported on Saturday.
Shariati said the situation was announced after weather forecasts showed that the provinces lying to Khuzestan’s north were to witness heavy downpours over the next 24 hours, leading to heavy amounts of water moving downstream into Khuzestan and potentially causing rivers there to overflow their banks.
Khuzestan hosts five major rivers, including Karun — Iran’s biggest — multiplying the threat of flooding.
Meanwhile, 55 villages lying close to these rivers have been evacuated.
Heavy rains triggered raging torrents of water in 25 of Iran’s 31 provinces on March 19.
The death toll from the recent flash floods across the country currently stands at 42,