Flash floods in the southern province of Fars have killed at least 20 people and left several missing, according to state media. Forecasters have warned that more heavy rains are on the way, risking further floods.

At least 20 people were killed in flash floods caused by heavy rains in Iran's southern province of Fars, state media said on Saturday.

Khalil Abdollahi, head of the province's crisis management department, said the downpours near Soltan Shahbaz village in Estahban caused the Rodbal Dam to flood.

Estahban is about 170 kilometers (105 miles) south of Shiraz, the capital city of Fars Province.

Abdollahi said 55 people had been rescued but several people are still missing.

The Red Crescent said it was at the scene with 150 aid workers and was able to rescue several families from the floods.

Videos posted on social media showed cars caught in the rising waters of the Roodball river and carried away.

Flood risk in southern Iran remains high

Iran's weather service said the flood risk remained elevated as further heavy rains will hit the province on Saturday.

The floods happened on a summer weekend in Iran, when families tend to head to cooler areas such as riversides, lakesides and valleys.

Iran is regularly hit by floods but has also endured repeated droughts over the past decade.

In 2019, heavy rainfall in the country's south left at least 76 people dead and caused damage estimated at more than $2 billion (€1.96 billion).

In January, at least eight people were killed in flash flooding in Fars when heavy rains hit Iran's south.

In neighboring Iraq in December, 12 people died in flash floods that swept through the north of the country, despite severe drought.

Scientists say climate change amplifies extreme weather, including droughts as well as the potential for the increased intensity of rain storms.