Flooding Kills Dozens in North

Torrential rains flooded villages in northern Iran, killing at least 34 people and injuring more than 200, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported. More than 5,000 homes, shops and government buildings were damaged or destroyed in Neka, Behshahr and Sari, and thousands of acres of farmland had been inundated since the rain began Sunday, IRNA said. It also reported that at least 30 villages had been flooded. The agency quoted Rahmatollah Ahmadi, head of the provincial natural disasters office, as saying 15 people had died in Neka and 19 in Behshahr. Several people were missing, IRNA said.