Twelve climbers confirmed dead in Iran's Alborz mountains after heavy snowfall
Twelve climbers are now known to have died in mountains north of Iran's capital Tehran after heavy snowfall, state media reported on Sunday. Seven crew members of an Iranian ship are also still missing after storms in the Gulf.
Heavy snow and winds in several parts of Iran in the past few days have closed many roads and disrupted transport, according to Reuters.
The bodies of two climbers were found on Sunday, bringing to 12 the toll after the heavy snows, Reza Zarei, head of Iran's mountaineering federation, was quoted as saying by state TV.
"The rescue operation has now been completed and all the missing persons have been found," the broadcaster IRIB quoted Zarei as saying.
Tehran lies at the foot of the Alborz mountain range, which has several ski resorts.
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Separately, Iranian maritime authorities were searching for the seven crew members of an Iranian transport vessel that capsized in rough Gulf waters on Friday, the semi-official ISNA news agency reported.
"We are trying to find the missing by mobilising all our facilities and forces, and informing passing vessels and the naval search and rescue centres of Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan," Esmail Makkizadeh, deputy head of Iran's regional maritime body, was quoted as saying by ISNA.
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