Gov’t Orders Help To Cold-Hit Regions
SARI, Mazandaran, Jan 11–President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad here Friday ordered a probe into the problems in the northern regions created by the unprecedented cold weather in recent weeks.
Addressing a meeting of the Joint Council of the Natural Disasters Headquarters in Mazandaran, Gilan and Gorgan, he said swift action should be taken to address problems of the regions hit by below-freezing temperatures, IRNA reported.
The president arrived in this northern city Friday on a brief visit. He returned to Tehran after a 4-hour meeting with provincial officials related largely to the latest situation of the people hit by the biting cold.
Mazandaran province, the central and eastern regions in particular, have been suffering from fuel shortages for almost 10 days after Turkmenistan cut off gas supplies apparently for technical reasons.
Provincial authorities and the weatherman have consistently urged the people to stay indoors and travel only if very essential.
At least 28 people are reported to have died in the heaviest snowfall in recent years.
Eight people froze to death as severe blizzards left 40,000 people stranded in their cars, authorities said.
Although most have now been rescued, nearly 20 people are reported to have been killed car crashes due to the freezing weather and treacherous roads.
The mercury has dropped in many regions to -24 degrees Celsius, and for the first time in recent memory snow has fallen on the country’s southern deserts.
There are mounting fears that the severe temperatures may lead to new shortages of gas and heating fuel.
Tehran’s new airport has re-opened but the situation remains chaotic.
