ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday expressed sympathies with the people of Iran hit by unprecedented floods and said his government was ready to provide all possible humanitarian assistance to them.

“Our prayers go to the people of Iran as they deal with unprecedented flooding. We stand ready to provide any humanitarian assistance required,” he said in a tweet.

Reports in the Iranian media said at least 70 people had been killed by the floods that hit northern, western and south-western Iran after record rainfalls began saturating parts of the country last month.

Deaths have been recorded across 13 provinces of the country, with the highest tolls reported in Fars, Lorestan, Golestan and Hameda, according to the state-run media.

Reports said that record rainfalls since March 19 had so far flooded about 1,900 cities and villages across the country, causing damage worth hundreds of millions of dollars to water and agriculture infrastructures.

Over 140 rivers had burst their banks and some 409 landslides had been reported in the country. A total of 78 roads had been blocked and 84 bridges in flood-stricken areas badly affected.

Published in Dawn, April 8th, 2019