The Iran Blizzard of February 1972 resulted in the deaths of approximately 4,000 people. A week-long period of low temperatures and winter storms, lasting from February 3 to February 9, 1972, dumped more than ten feet (3 metres) of snow across rural areas in northwestern, central and southern Iran.

Southern Iran sustained as much as 26 feet (8 metres) of snow, burying at least 4,000 villagers. According to contemporary reports by the newspaper Ettela'at

Ettela'at

- Incidents :On January 6, 1978 a slanderous article appeared in Ettela'at suggesting Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini was a homosexual and a serving British agent. The next day, clerics in Qom protested and the police demanded they disperse. When they refused, police opened fire and at least twenty...

, the city of Ardakan

Ardakan

Ardakan is a city in and the capital of Ardakan County, Yazd Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 51,349, in 13,730 families.Ardakan is the second major city of Yazd Province. It was established in the 12th century in the Zardug region...

 and outlying villages were hardest hit, with no survivors in Kakkan or Kumar. In the northwest, near the border with Turkey

Turkey

Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

, the village of Sheklab and its 100 inhabitants were buried.

This blizzard

Blizzard

A blizzard is a severe snowstorm characterized by strong winds. By definition, the difference between blizzard and a snowstorm is the strength of the wind. To be a blizzard, a snow storm must have winds in excess of with blowing or drifting snow which reduces visibility to 400 meters or ¼ mile or...

 remains the deadliest in history.

See also

• List of natural disasters
• Geography of Iran
  Geography of Iran
  Iran is located in southwest Asia and borders the Gulf of Oman, Persian Gulf, and Caspian Sea.Its mountains have helped to shape both the political and the economic history of the country for several centuries. The mountains enclose several broad basins, or plateaus, on which major agricultural and...
  
  
• List of earthquakes in Iran
• International rankings of Iran