Pakistan condoles with Iran on loss of precious lives in floods

LAHORE - Pakistan has extended heartfelt condolences to the government and brotherly people of Iran on the loss of precious lives and material damage as a result of floods in the southern Fars province. In a statement on Saturday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families, and we wish speedy recovery to those injured as a result of this natural disaster.  He said we stand in solidarity with the government and people of Iran at this moment of grief. Meanwhile, flooding in southern Iran has killed at least 22 people and left one person missing following heavy rainfall in the largely arid country, a local official said Saturday. Iran has endured repeated droughts over the past decade, but also regular floods, a phenomenon made worse when torrential rain falls on sun-baked earth. Videos posted on local and social media showed vehicles being carried away by the rising waters of the Roodball river in the southern province of Fars. One video showed adults pulling a child from a car as it began to shift downstream. “The number of people killed has risen to 22 after another body was found,” due to floods that affected several towns in and around Estahban county, Javad Moradian, who heads a local rescue unit, told Mehr news agency. A Red Crescent official earlier put the death toll at 21, with two people missing. The governor of Estahban, Yousef Kargar, said “around 5:00 pm yesterday, heavy rains... in the central parts of Estahban County led to flooding”, according to state news agency IRNA.

 

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