Iran evacuates more villages for fear of landslides after floods

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Sat, 06 Apr 2019 - 09:45 GMT

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Sat, 06 Apr 2019 - 09:45 GMT

An aerial view of flooding in Golestan province, Iran March 27, 2019. Official Iranian President website/Handout via REUTERS

An aerial view of flooding in Golestan province, Iran March 27, 2019. Official Iranian President website/Handout via REUTERS

TEHRAN, April 6 (MENA) - Iran moved on Saturday to evacuate more towns and villages threatened by floods after forecasts for more rains in the southwest of the country, state television reported, as the nationwide toll from the flooding reached 70.

According to NDTV, many residents of Susangerd, with a population of about 50,000 and five other communities in the oil-rich southwestern province of Khuzestan were being moved to safer areas as officials released water from major river dams, the television reported.

"An evacuation order has been issued and we are recommending women and children to leave but we are asking the men and youth to stay and help us (in the rescue effort)," the provincial governor, Gholamreza Shariati, told state TV.

In the neighboring Lorestan province, seven villages threatened by landslides were to be evacuated, the television reported.

At least 70 people have been killed, the head of the country's emergency services, Pirhossein Koulivand, told the state news agency IRNA.

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