Avalanche Devastates Hikers in Iran

Avalanche
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Avalanche

Rescue workers in Iran recently ended their search for survivors on Sunday, Dec. 27, 2020, after a series of avalanches struck in a mountainous area north of the state capital resulting in 12 people being killed, according to reports from state TV.

The avalanches, which struck in four different areas on Friday, December 25, resulted from a series of strong winds in conjunction with snowfall from the day before.

The Alborz Mountain range is regarded as a popular weekend destination known for its hiking and climbing trails.

Iranian state TV displayed footage that shows emergency rescue crews using a helicopter to search for the missing.  Photos of rescue workers were also shown as they unloaded body bags from a helicopter Saturday posted by Iran’s Red Crescent Society.

The report stated there were 11 people found dead, and one died after being transferred to a hospital. Throughout the operation, rescue teams found an additional 14 missing people.

Authorities said people disregarded the reports from the meteorological office about the possibility of strong winds on Friday.

Deadly avalanches seldomly occur in Iran. In 2017, two avalanches were responsible for the death of 11 hikers.

Avalanche

Iranian Red Crescent Society

Iran’s Red Crescent Society (IRCS), is formally known as the Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran. It is an independent humanitarian organization in Iran and is affiliated with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

Although their expertise is responding to earthquakes, the ICRS assists communities with various disasters ranging from climate-related to conflict-related. This also includes assisting people with the more recent Covid-19 outbreak.

The organization was originally founded as the Red Lion and Sun Society in 1922. It changed its name and emblem to ICRS in 1980.

Written by Jeremy Banks
Edited by Cathy Milne-Ware

Sources:

AP: Avalanches kill 12 in mountainous area near Iran’s capital
Iranian Red Crescent Society: Who We Are; What We Do

Featured and Top Image by Emamzadeh Hashem Courtesy of Wikimedia Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image by Babak Fakhamzadeh’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License

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