Iran Reopens Key Shrines After Two-Month Virus Closure

A cleric prays outside the Fatima Masumeh shrine in Iran's holy city of Qom on March 16, 2020, the day it was closed due to the coronavirus | AFP
A cleric prays outside the Fatima Masumeh shrine in Iran's holy city of Qom on March 16, 2020, the day it was closed due to the coronavirus | AFP
TT
20

Iran Reopens Key Shrines After Two-Month Virus Closure

A cleric prays outside the Fatima Masumeh shrine in Iran's holy city of Qom on March 16, 2020, the day it was closed due to the coronavirus | AFP
A cleric prays outside the Fatima Masumeh shrine in Iran's holy city of Qom on March 16, 2020, the day it was closed due to the coronavirus | AFP

Iran on Monday reopened major Shiite shrines across the country, more than two months after they were closed because of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

At Tehran's Shah Abdol-Azim shrine, worshippers had to wear a mask, walk through a disinfection tunnel and have their temperature checked as they began returning from the early morning, AFP reported.

The Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad in northeast Iran and the Fatima Masumeh shrine and Jamkaran mosque in the holy city of Qom also reopened while observing health protocols, state news agency IRNA reported.

They are allowed to open starting from an hour after dawn until an hour before dusk.

State TV showed worshippers crying and running towards Imam Reza's shrine as they were guided by attendants.

In a statement on its website, the shrine said visitors must observe health requirements such as wearing masks and maintaining social distancing, and bring their own prayer mats, books, and other accessories.

Shrines were closed alongside schools, universities, and all non-vital businesses in March after Iran reported its first two coronavirus deaths in Qom in late February.

Iran has allowed a phased reopening of its economy and gradual relaxation of restrictions since early April, with a further easing expected in the coming days despite a recent uptick in new cases.

COVID-19 has so far killed more than 7,410 people and infected over 135,700 in the country, according to the health ministry.



Monsoon Floods Sweep Away 18 People and Main Bridge Linking Nepal to China

Monsoon Floods Sweep Away 18 People and Main Bridge Linking Nepal to China
TT
20

Monsoon Floods Sweep Away 18 People and Main Bridge Linking Nepal to China

Monsoon Floods Sweep Away 18 People and Main Bridge Linking Nepal to China

A mountain river flooded by monsoon rains swept away the main bridge connecting Nepal with China on Tuesday, leaving 18 people missing, Nepali authorities said.

Rescue efforts were underway and an army helicopter was able to lift people stranded by the flooding. Police said 95 rescuers were already at the area and more are expected to join in rescue efforts, The Associated Press reported.

The flooding on the Bhotekoshi River destroyed the Friendship Bridge at Rasuwagadi, which is 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of the capital, Kathmandu.

Several houses and trucks that were parked at the border for customs inspections also were swept away. Hundreds of electric vehicles imported from China had been parked at the border point.

The 18 missing are 12 Nepali citizens and six Chinese nationals, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority.

The Chinese along with eight Nepalis were workers at a Chinese-assisted construction project on the Nepali side of the border, according to the Chinese Embassy in Nepal, quoted by state media.

The destruction of the bridge has halted all trade from China to Nepal through this route. The longer alternative is for goods to be shipped from China to India and then brought overland to Nepal.

Monsoon rains that begin in June and end in September often cause severe flooding in Nepal, disrupting infrastructure and endangering lives.