Tehran - (AFP) - The continuous torrential rains and floods in various parts of Iran for more than a week have killed more than 80 people, while about 30 are still missing, according to the official media, Saturday.

And the Secretary-General of the Red Crescent Society, Yaqoub Soleimani, stated that since the beginning of the month of Mordad according to the solar Hijri calendar (July 23), "59 people have been killed and 30 are still missing as a result of the events caused by the torrential rains," according to what was reported by the "IRNA" agency.

And on the eve of the start of the month according to the Iranian calendar (July 22), torrential rains caused the death of at least 22 people in Fars Province (south), most of whom were spending their holiday on the banks of a river whose level rose greatly due to the rains.

Soleimani stated that torrential and flood damage was recorded in about 60 cities, 140 towns and more than 500 villages in the Islamic Republic, which has a population of nearly 83 million.

The province of Tehran was the most affected, as 35 people were killed, while the largest number of missing persons is still in the province of Mazandaran in the north of the country (20 people), according to a list prepared by the Red Crescent.

The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sent his condolences to the families of the victims, calling for taking the necessary measures to repair the damage caused by the torrents and floods, according to a message posted on his website.

For his part, President Ebrahim Raisi, on Saturday, visited the Firouzkoh region, east of Tehran, which was one of the areas most affected by the effects of the heavy rains that fell on Thursday night.

Official media reported that 14 people were killed in Firuzkoh, after rains caused a rockslide.

Tapes and pictures published by Iranian media or circulated on social media showed torrential torrents in many areas, whether inside neighborhoods or on wide roads. The water swept away many cars and flooded several places with mud, and relief workers worked to search for the missing and remove the rubble using mechanical machines and hand tools.

And the Minister of Agricultural Jihad, Javad Sadati Nejad, said that preliminary estimates indicate that this sector has incurred losses of about $200 million, according to what was reported by state television.

The climate in southern and central Iran is largely dry, but these areas witnessed floods in multiple stages, the last of which began last week.

The Meteorological Organization warned of the possibility of continued rains, especially in the northern and southern governorates, during the next few days.

Widespread floods in Iran in March and April 2019 killed at least 76 people and caused damage estimated at about $2 billion.

Scientists believe that climate change increases the severity of extreme weather events, including drought, in addition to the possibility of an increase in the intensity of storms and rain.

The torrents and floods in Iran coincided with the recording of similar phenomena in a number of Arab countries in the Gulf region.

At least seven people were killed as a result of torrential rains that hit several areas in the Emirates during the past days, according to what the Ministry of Interior announced on Friday night.