At least 21 people have died and three others were reported missing after flash floods triggered by heavy rain hit Iran's Fars province, rescue officials told state media on Saturday.Mehdi Valipour, head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society, said the rescue operation will continue until the missing persons are found, reports Xinhua news agency.
Speaking to the semi-official Mehr News Agency earlier in the day, Estahban Governor Yousef Kargar said 13 of the recovered bodies have been identified.He noted that so far, 55 people, who were stuck in areas surrounded by the flood, have been rescued and that a rescue operation is underway.
The Governor blamed the Iran Meteorological Organization for failing to issue an adequately strong warning prior to the heavy rainfall on Friday evening.