RIYADH: One person is dying every 10 minutes from coronavirus in Iran, a health official has admitted.
The shocking figure came as the official death toll in the country reached 1,284, although many experts believe the figure is far higher.
"Based on our information, every 10 minutes one person dies from the coronavirus and some 50 people become infected with the virus every hour in Iran," Kianush Jahanpur, health ministry spokesman tweeted.
On Thursday, Iran's deputy Health Minister Alireza Raisi said the total number of infections had reached 18,407.
Last week, satellite images showed Iran had been digging mass graves near Qom, amid allegations that the regime had covered up the extent of the outbreak.
