TEHRAN: Three more climbers in Iran have died after avalanches struck mountains north of the capital Tehran, bringing the overall toll to 11, the Red Crescent said yesterday. State news agency IRNA said the tragedy began on Friday when avalanches and blizzards hit the mountainous region. Several climbers were trapped in the area but the Red Crescent managed to rescue 14 during a three-day operation led by 20 emergency teams backed by helicopters.

On Saturday, rescuers said they had found the bodies of eight climbers, while yesterday morning it was announced that another had died. The bodies of another two were recovered in the Darabad mountains, the Red Crescent said yesterday, adding that the rescue operation was now over.

Tehran lies at the foot of the Alborz mountain range which stretches across 900 km from the border with Azerbaijan in Iran's northwest to Khorasan province in the northeast. The area is famous for its many ski resorts and is popular with climbers. - AFP