Avalanche in west Iran kills 5 mountain climbers and injures another 4

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — An avalanche killed five mountain climbers and injured four others from an all-Iranian climbing team in west Iran, state media reported on Saturday.

A report by the state-owned IRNA news agency said rescue teams recovered the bodies of five climbers from San Boran peak, some 300 kilometers (about186 miles) southwest of the capital Tehran. The other four injured were taken to hospital.

The report said the 9-member team of climbers began their journey on Thursday despite a warning by local authorities about possible risk. The peak, the highest of the Oshtrankooh mountain range at 4150 meters (about 13,600 feet), witnessed heavy rain and snow in recent weeks.

Iran has occasionally seen deadly avalanches. In 2020, a series of avalanches killed 12 people in a mountainous area north of Tehran.