Avalanches kill 10 in mountainous area near Tehran

Deadly avalanches are a rare phenomenon in Iran

Last updated: December 27, 2020 | 18:37

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Bags containing bodies of mountaineers who died after avalanches in a mountainous area north of Tehran are placed on the ground carried by a rescue helicopter.

Tehran: A series of avalanches in Iran killed 10 people in a mountainous area north of the capital, state TV reported Sunday.

The report said rescue teams were searching for a number of missing people after the avalanches struck in four different areas. State TV aired footage of emergency crews using a helicopter to search for those missing and injured.

The incidents happened on Friday following strong winds and snowfall a day earlier. The Alborz mountain range where the avalanches struck is popular on weekends for its hiking and climbing.

Deadly avalanches are a rare phenomenon in Iran. In 2017, two avalanches killed 11 hikers.