VIDEO: Flash floods ravage Iran’s Shahrek Hezarani; Homes submerged, rescue ops on

Heavy rain caused major flooding in Shahrek Hezarani Village in Abdanan, Ilam Province of the Iran. The Abdanan Governor confirmed that emergency teams from the Crisis Management Headquarters were assisting on the ground after water inundated the homes of 40 families.

A video of flooding has also surfaced on the social media platform X, showing high-speed water rushing through the streets of the village. A few of the vehicles parked on the street of the village have been partially submerged in the flood, and water is also seen entering the houses.

'Cloud-seeding' in Iran

Previously, Iran's officials attempted artificial rain known as 'cloud-seeding' to combat the country's worst drought in decades. The process was accomplished over the Urmia lake basin on Saturday, Iran's official news agency Irna reported.

Urmia is the largest lake in Iran, but it has largely dried out, leaving a vast salt bed. The agency added that further operations will continue in East and West Azerbaijan. The artificial rain was conducted after Iran recorded low rainfall, resulting in reservoirs getting nearly empty.

Last week, President Masoud Pezeshkian cautioned that without imminent rainfall, Tehran may face water rationing and even possible evacuations. According to Iran’s meteorological agency, nationwide rainfall has dropped by nearly 89 per cent compared with long-term averages, Irna reported. Officials said this is the country’s driest autumn in five decades.

Authorities have also moved to introduce penalties for homes and businesses that use excessive water.

Ahmad Vazifeh, who heads Iran's National Centre for Climate and Drought Crisis Management, said reservoirs in Tehran, West Azerbaijan, East Azerbaijan and Markazi are in a “critical condition”, with water levels falling to single digits. On Friday, hundreds gathered at a Tehran mosque to pray for rain.