Press TV - Iran has voiced sympathyover the deathof a large number of people in flash floods across parts of South Asia, particularly in India, Nepal and neighboring Pakistan.
On Friday, Irans 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 groupshows that in India, Nepal and Bangladesh, 1,170, 143 and 140 people have so far been killed, respectively.
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Pakistani commuters travel on a flooded street following heavy monsoon rains in Karachi, Pakistan, on August 31, 2017. (Photo by AP)[/caption]Separately, Pakistani officials also said on Friday that at least 16 people lost their lives in flood-hit Karachi, the countrys largest city. According to Karachis main emergency aid agency, 11 of the victims died as a result ofelectrocution, 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.
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Indian residents swim and wade through flood waters in Malda in the Indian state of West Bengal on August 24, 2017. (Photo by AFP)[/caption]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.
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Nepali residents swim with a rubber ring in a flooded area in Birgunj Parsa district, south of Kathmandu, on August 13, 2017. (Photo by AFP)[/caption]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 astatement 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 attendclasses in those areas.
