Iranian Teenager Armita Geravand Dies after Alleged Confrontation with Officers

A view of the entrance to Evin prison in Tehran, Iran (Reuters)
A view of the entrance to Evin prison in Tehran, Iran (Reuters)
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Iranian Teenager Armita Geravand Dies after Alleged Confrontation with Officers

A view of the entrance to Evin prison in Tehran, Iran (Reuters)
A view of the entrance to Evin prison in Tehran, Iran (Reuters)

Armita Geravand, a 16-year-old Iranian girl, has died following an alleged encounter with officers over violating the country's hijab law, the official IRNA news agency reported on Saturday.

"Unfortunately, she went into a coma for some time after suffering from brain damage. She died a few minutes ago," IRNA reported.

Geravand had been pronounced brain dead last week after she fell into a coma on Oct 1, Reuters reported.

The death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of morality police last September sparked months of anti-government protests that spiralled into the biggest show of opposition to Iranian authorities in years.

Right groups were the first to make Geravand's hospitalization public, posting photos on social media that showed her unconscious and on life support, with a respiratory tube and her head bandaged.

Iran has denied that Geravand was hurt after a confrontation on Oct. 1 with officers enforcing the mandatory Islamic dress code in the Tehran metro.

Women are required by law to cover their hair and wear long, loose-fitting clothes in Iran.

Violators face public rebuke, fines or arrest yet defying the strict Islamic dress code, more women have been appearing unveiled in public places such as restaurants and shops since Amini's death.



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
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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.