Iran’s protest death toll may have exceeded 30,000 people within just 48 hours on January 8–9, according to two senior officials from Iran’s Ministry of Health who spoke to TIME.

Axar.az reports that, according to the figures, which have not been independently verified, would represent a dramatic escalation far beyond official government statements and previously reported activist estimates.

The officials said the scale of the killings overwhelmed state capacity, exhausting body bags and forcing authorities to use semi-trailers to transport bodies. A separate hospital-based count compiled by medical professionals and shared with TIME listed 30,304 deaths, though it excludes cases from military hospitals and inaccessible areas, suggesting the real toll may be higher.

Iranian authorities have publicly acknowledged only 3,117 deaths, while rights groups have confirmed several thousand and are investigating tens of thousands more. Experts cited by TIME said that, if accurate, the killings would be among the deadliest mass shootings in modern history, with the Babyn Yar massacre during the Holocaust being the closest historical parallel in scale over such a short period.

The crackdown reportedly followed a nationwide internet blackout, with witnesses describing rooftop snipers and heavy machine guns used against crowds across thousands of locations. The events have intensified international scrutiny, as investigators warn that incomplete records, intimidation, and restricted access continue to obscure the full scale of the violence.