Apocalypse Tehran: Moment Iranian capital was hit by 150km/h dust wall which blacked out sun, killed five and injured 30
Mark Duell
These astonishing photographs show the apocalyptic scene of an 80mph dust storm which killed five people and injured 30 more.
The storm struck yesterday in Iran's capital Tehran, blacking out the sun in a swirling cloud for several minutes and tearing down trees.
It also caused a chain-reaction crash involving 20 vehicles on a highway south of the capital - and international flights were cancelled.
Air traffic controllers diverted several flights and heavy winds also engulfed parts of central Iran, but no casualties were reported there.
Children and the elderly, as well as those with heart problems, were told to remain indoors - but some 50,000 homes suffered power cuts.
The storm hit at 5.30pm local time (2pm BST), and the temperature fell from 33C (91F) to 23C (73F) as it blew through from the desert.
While sandstorms are common in many parts of the Middle East, 'haboob' storms like yesterday's are unusual in Tehran.
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Astonishing scene: A picture taken with a mobile phone shows a sandstorm engulfing the Iranian capital Tehran at 5.30pm local time (2pm BST) yesterday