Iran evacuated residents from inundated areas of the southwestern city of Ahvaz today as the nationwide death toll from the worst flooding in 70 years reached 77, state media reported.
More than 200 villages were also evacuated in Khuzestan province, and 46,000 people were housed in emergency shelters provided by the government, IRNA reported.
Further districts of Ahvaz were put on flood alert, the provincial governor said, as more torrential rain was forecast in coming days. A hospital in the city was evacuated on Monday.
Floods have hit some 1,900 cities and villages across Iran after exceptionally heavy rain since March 19. Western and southwestern areas of the country are suffering the worst.
Early estimates put flood losses in agriculture sector at $350 million.
