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.

Children and the elderly, as well as those with heart problems, were told to remain indoors – but some 50,000 homes suffered power cuts.

While sandstorms are common in many parts of the Middle East, ‘haboob’ storms like yesterday’s are unusual in Tehran.

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