New internal figures suggest that as many as 30,000 people may have been killed in Iran on January 8 and 9 during weeks of nationwide protests, according to two senior Health Ministry officials.

If confirmed, the toll would dwarf the government’s previously reported 3,117 deaths and highlight a surge of violence that overwhelmed the state’s ability to manage the dead.

Officials, who shared the data with TIME, described a scene in which body bags ran out and eighteen-wheel trucks were pressed into service to transport the deceased. Hospitals and first responders also compiled a parallel count exceeding 30,000 deaths, though the numbers likely exclude casualties at military hospitals or in remote areas.

The protests, which began on December 28 over economic hardships, later evolved into a nationwide movement calling for political change. Eyewitnesses reported that security forces, including rooftop snipers and trucks mounted with heavy machine guns, opened fire on crowds while internet and communications were largely cut off.

Independent verification remains challenging due to government restrictions, but human rights groups have confirmed thousands of deaths and continue to investigate.

Experts compared the scale of the killings to some of the deadliest events in modern history, including uprisings such as the 2024 Bangladesh protests, though official counts in that case were much lower.

The revelations underscore both the severe human cost of the regime’s crackdown and the volatile political climate in Iran.