Iran’s Top General Visits Flood-Hit Golestan Province
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri arrived in the northern Iranian province of Golestan on Thursday to visit flood-hit areas in the province and push for speeding up relief efforts.
Major General Baqeri will inspect damage caused by the recent flash floods and the relief and rescue process and then attend a meeting of military commanders and provincial officials to discuss ways for speeding up the process.
On Wednesday, President Hassan Rouhani arrived in Golestan to oversee relief operations and inspect the damage as heavy downpours and flash floods continue to batter several provinces across Iran.
“The government, as … representative of the people, is committed to standing by you all the way and I promise you that we will restore all the villages and places that have sustained damage in Golestan province … with the help of people,” the president said during his visit to flood-ridden regions.
Rouhani said he had ordered the relevant organizations to fund the reconstruction of affected residential buildings.
“In this regard, although we face a difficult year in terms of budget and problems, at the same time we will not hesitate to help,” he added.
He also promised compensation for the affected, saying his government had allocated funds to compensate those who have sustained damage to their homes, livestock, agriculture, and businesses.
The floods, caused by torrential rain, have affected 25 of Iran’s 31 provinces in recent days, with Golestan in the north and Fars in the south, among the most severely affected ones.
More than two dozen people have been killed as a result of the flooding countrywide. The southern city of Shiraz, the capital of Fars province, with 19 deaths that occurred during Monday's floods accounts for the highest number of casualties.
Meanwhile, rescue efforts are underway in several provinces.
Meteorologists are predicting that the downpours will briefly recede in most parts of the country but they have forecast more heavy showers and warned of deluges and landslides.