TEHRAN, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- At least eight people, including a rescuer, have died in floods that hit Iran's southern provinces over the past week, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS).
In a statement published on its website on Sunday, the IRCS said it had provided rescue, relief and support services to 42,112 people in 25 Iranian provinces affected by heavy rainfall and snow since Dec. 15.
During this period, seven people died in floods in the provinces of Fars, Khuzestan and Hormozgan, and one IRCS rescuer lost his life while saving flood-stricken people in the city of Jahrom in the southern province Fars.
The flash floods followed months of severe drought in Iran, the worst in decades, which had left the soil unable to absorb water effectively.
