DUBAI: At least eight climbers have died and several more are missing in mountains north of Iran's capital Tehran after heavy snowfall and a blizzard, state television reported on Saturday, and the seven crew of a ship are also missing after storms in the Gulf.
Heavy snow and winds in several parts of Iran in the last days have closed many roads and disrupted transport.
Several climbers remain unaccounted for since Friday when two deaths were reported, while the number reported as missing has increased as concerned families contact the authorities, the broadcaster said.
Local news agency reports said the number of people unaccounted for on three popular trails could be as high as 12.
Tehran lies at the foot of the Alborz mountain range which has several ski resorts.
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.
At least eight climbers killed in Iran, ship crew missing after snowfall and storms
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At least eight climbers killed in Iran, ship crew missing after snowfall and storms
- Local news agency reports said the number of people unaccounted for could be as high as 12
- Search and rescue efforts were halted for the night and would resume on Sunday
US envoy calls for ceasefire deal in northeastern Syria to be maintained
- Tom Barrack, ambassador to Turkiye and special envoy for Syria, reiterates Washington’s support for Jan. 18 integration agreement between Syria’s government and Syrian Democratic Forces
LONDON: Tom Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkiye and special envoy for Syria, on Monday reiterated Washington’s desire to ensure the ceasefire agreement in northeastern Syria between Syria’s government and the Syrian Democratic Forces continues.
In a message posted on social media platform X, he wrote: “Productive phone call this evening with his excellency Masoud Barzani to discuss the situation in Syria and the importance of maintaining the ceasefire and ensuring humanitarian assistance to those in need, especially in Kobani.”
Barzani has been the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party since 1979, and served as president of Kurdistan region between 2005 and 2017.
The current present, Nechirvan Barzani, previously welcomed a recent decree by the Syrian president, Ahmad Al-Sharaa, officially recognizing the Kurdish population as an integral part of the country.
Barrack reiterated Washington’s support for efforts to advance the Jan. 18 agreement between Syria’s government and the SDF to integrate the latter into state institutions. The SDF is a Kurdish-led faction led by Mazloum Abdi that operates in northeastern Syria and recently clashed with government forces.
On Saturday, the Syrian Arab News Agency reported that the Syrian Ministry of Defense had announced a 15-day extension of the ceasefire deal.
