TEHRAN - President Hassan Rouhani visited the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan early Saturday to monitor rescue and relief operations to people affected by massive floods caused by heavy rains in the province. 

Rouhani first arrived at Konarak airport and then moved towards the flood-hit regions aboard a helicopter. 

Presidential Chief of Staff Mahmood Vaezi; Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli; Health Minister Saeed Namaki; Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian; Acting Agricultural Jihad Minister Abbas Keshavarz; and Information and Communication Technology Minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi were accompanying the president in his one-day trip to Sistan-Baluchestan. 

The president was slated to attend the province’s crisis management headquarters. 

Sistan-Baluchestan has been greatly affected due to record-breaking rainfall in years.

Heavy rainfall has caused seasonal rivers to flood into towns, causing extensive damage to infrastructure and people's homes.

The rainfalls, which began on January 10, also affected the neighboring provinces of Kerman and Hormozgan.

Preliminary estimates indicate the flooding has caused damage of up to 30 trillion rials (nearly $715 million) to different sectors of Sistan-Baluchestan.

According to the latest assessments, 500 villages and 14 cities are grappling with flooding and some 20,000 residential units have been destructed partially or completely.

Currently, 3,500 people are working and providing relief and rescue operations in the flood-stricken areas of the border province. 

Speaking at a gathering of flood-stricken people, Rouhani said, “Feel assured that the government and all of us are on your side, and we resolve the problems and will not forget you.” 

MJ/PA