The earthquake, measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale, hit the center of the country at 6 am, when most residents were at home. More than a thousand were injured. Heavy destruction was reported in the villages in the disaster area but a lesser degree of destruction in the cities of the district. An earthquake of similar intensity before in December 2003 in the city of Bam caused more than 26 thousand deaths
An earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale struck the Kerman district in central Iran yesterday morning (Tuesday) and caused extensive destruction in the villages in the area.
Iranian television quoted official sources in the Kerman province, who said that the number of dead was currently 370 people and that about a thousand people were injured.
The epicenter of the noise was in the area of the city of Zarand in Kerman province, a city located about 700 kilometers southeast of the capital Tehran. In the first television footage from the earthquake area, the images of the destruction are clearly visible. Many buildings in the villages, most of which are built of clay and mud, collapsed and were completely destroyed, burying their inhabitants under them.
In the photographs, a number of residents were seen digging through the rubble with their bare hands, desperately trying to save their trapped loved ones. "My whole family is dead. What a disaster, please help us", one of the residents was heard saying to the camera. "Everyone is afraid of secondary noises," said Nasser Dadbin (50), a taxi driver who lives in the city of Kerman.
Also seen in the photos were ambulances carrying the injured to the hospitals, as well as photos of the dead and injured near their destroyed homes. "All the hospitals in Zarand are completely full and cannot receive any more wounded," said the announcer.
The governor of Kerman province said that about 30 thousand people live in the area affected by the earthquake. It was reported that large rescue and rescue forces rushed to the scene, but the spokesman for the district noted that no request has yet been made for assistance from neighboring districts. It was also reported that the electricity and communication networks collapsed and that rain is falling in the area, facts that make rescue efforts difficult.
Officials in the area of the disaster stated that most of the destruction was caused to the rural settlements in the area. The director of the office for emergency situations in the district said that the rate of damage in five villages in the area ranges from 20 to 70 percent. On the other hand, in the city of Zarand itself, in the capital of the province Kerman and in other towns in the region, the degree of destruction is smaller. "In Zarand and Kerman, only a few walls collapsed and there are no casualties," said a spokesman for the Ministry of the Interior.
The earthquake, which occurred at 5:55 a.m., while many residents were still in their homes or at morning prayers in mosques, reminded many of the disaster that struck the area a little over a year ago. On December 26, 2003, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.7 on the Richter scale hit the area of the city of Am and claimed more than 26 thousand victims.
Bam, a historic city only 200 km away from the area where the earthquake hit today, was almost completely destroyed by the earthquake. The large number of victims was explained by the construction method of the houses, which were made of mud without foundations and iron beams.
Experts explained that when a modern building made of brick and concrete collapses, spaces are created between the ruins, allowing trapped survivors to stay alive for several days. On the other hand, when a mud building collapses and crumbles, a tight pile of dust and stones is formed, which has no voids and the chance of being saved in such a situation is slim.
Sultani, a spokesman for the governor's office of Kerman province, said that past experience helped the rescue forces deal with the disaster this time. "After the earthquake in 2003, we had experience on how to deal with such a natural disaster. Despite the rain, rescue operations are being conducted effectively. The rescue forces arrived in the affected areas and started helping the residents," he said.
He said that this was not a rebroadcast of the earthquake in Bam because the epicenter was far from large settlements and closer to small villages where few residents lived.
Iran has known more severe natural disasters in recent years: in April 1972, 5,374 people were killed in an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 on the Richter scale that hit the south of the country.
In September 1978, 15 thousand people were killed in an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 to 7.9 on the Richter scale.
In 1990, a strong earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 on the Richter scale shook the country. About 35 thousand people were killed in this disaster.
