Iran expresses sympathy for flood victims in South Asian countries

Iran has voiced sympathy over the death of a large number of people in flash floods across parts of South Asia, particularly in India, Nepal and neighboring Pakistan.

On Friday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi expressed his condolences to the Indian, Pakistani and Nepalese governments and nations over the loss of hundreds of lives as a result of heavy flooding in those countries.

Last month’s monsoon rains and heavy flooding in parts of South Asia left nearly 1,470 people dead and affected over 43 million others.

Death toll provided by the Britain-based Oxfam charity group shows that in India, Nepal and Bangladesh, 1,170, 143 and 140 people have so far been killed, respectively.

Separately, Pakistani officials also said on Friday that at least 16 people lost their lives in flood-hit Karachi, the country’s largest city. According to Karachi’s main emergency aid agency, 11 of the victims died as a result of electrocution, as rising waters become electrified in low-lying parts of the southern city, which is the latest major urban center in the region to be hit by heavy monsoon rains.

Countries in the South Asia region are frequently hit by deadly flooding during the June-September monsoon season, but international aid agencies believe that the situation is far from normal this year, as homes, schools and health centers have been heavily damaged by torrential rains and the ensuing flash floods.

“While some flooding is normal during the monsoon season, for most of the communities hit this level of flooding is unusual and unheard of,” Oxfam said in a statement on Thursday, adding that in some areas the rainfall had been the heaviest in 60 years.

According to a report by Save the Children, across the monsoon-affected areas in India, Nepal and Bangladesh, at least 18,000 schools are destroyed or heavily damaged, while the unaffected ones are being used as shelters for displaced people. The aid group added that some 1.8 million children could not attend classes in those areas.

Press TV

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