Bodies piled up at Iran hospital after protest crackdown, new footage reveals, as 250 mosques damaged

New footage following nationwide protests in Iran earlier this month has shown the harrowing aftermath of a government crackdown, including bodies piled up in a hospital and snipers stationed above buildings, as Tehran says that places of worship were also damaged in the unrest.

The protests erupted in late December, originally triggered by economic woes but later developing into anger at the regime over a variety of issues.

Security forces quickly quashed the protests, which saw tens of thousands of people pour into the streets and chant anti-government slogans across the country. In the process, the regime cut off internet access, sparking global condemnation.

International rights groups, such as the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, estimate that the death toll stands at over 6,000 people, while others believe it could be as much as 30,000.

According to reports on Monday, a video believed to have been filmed on 8 and 9 January showed bodies piled on top of each other inside a mortuary at the Tehranpars Hospital in the east of the capital. BBC Verify and BBC Persian analysed the footage, stating that at least 31 bodies could be seen in a single video.

Another video shows at least even body bags laid on the ground near the entryway to the hospital.

The two days are considered to be some of the deadliest from the protests, which saw authorities use violence to disperse crowds and target individuals.

In an effort to avoid heavy surveillance by the authorities, protesters can be seen in some videos trying to disable CCTV cameras.

Reports state that anti-government protests were documented in 71 towns and cities across the country.

Another video circulating from Kerman shows armed men in military uniform walking down a road and firing their weapons. The sound of protesters chanting can be heard in the background.

In Mashhad, footage shows snipers on the roofs of buildings, and two men dressed in black stood on the top of a building.

The widespread unrest has caused damage to 250 schools, 300 mosques and 90 religious educational institutions, the country’s Foreign Policy Commission Chairman, Ebrahim Azizi, said.

The latest findings come as two senior officials in the country’s ministry of health said as many as 30,000 people could have been killed on 8 and 9 January alone. The sources told international media that the killings overwhelmed the state’s ability to dispose of dead bodies.