Iran says 79 people killed by floods

TEHRAN

Relentless rains and flooding have killed 79 people and injured 1,000 others in Iran, according to an Iranian official on Monday.

Several Iranian provinces have been ravaged by a wave of torrents since last month.

"The floods have hit 25 provinces and affected the lives of 10 million people either directly or indirectly," Ali Bahtiyari Bakhtiari, an official with the General Directorates of Disaster Management, said in statements cited by local media.

He said the rains have caused damage in 235 cities and 4,304 villages throughout the country.

"The floods have caused to evacuate around 400,000 people from their homes and damaged 40,000 houses," he added.