Earthquakes Claim 70 Lives in Western Iran

TEHRAN, Iran, April 2, 2006 (ENS) - A series of earthquakes that struck Iran's western Lorestan Province starting Friday have killed 70 people and injured more than 1,300 others.

Tehran University's Geophysics Institute said in a statement on Sunday that the aftershocks followed a 6.0 magnitude quake which shook the mountainous region between the cities of Doroud and Borujerd at dawn on Friday, local time.

At least 94 aftershocks have jolted northern parts of Lorestan since early Friday when strongest quake was felt, the Geophysics Institute said.

About 330 villages have suffered between 40 and 100 percent damage, and at least 15,000 families are now homeless, according to IRNA, the official news agency of the Islamic republic.

Communications were cut off by quake damage and roads have been blocked. Meanwhile, many businesses, suppliers and governments offices are closed since this is the Iranian New Year holiday of Norouz.

Iranian authorities say that rescue operations have ended and attention has shifted to the survivors of the earthquakes.

Damage caused by the many earthquakes and aftershocks that have rocked Doroud city since Friday morning. (Photo courtesy IRNA)

The Iranian Red Crescent Society has sent 100 teams of trained emergency workers, as well as eight rescue teams which include 12 sniffer dogs - a total of 622 people - into Lorestan province.

The emergency relief teams are helping to pull survivors out of the rubble, treat the injured and are also assessing the immediate needs of survivors.

The Iranian Red Crescent Society also has sent three helicopters to the region to ferry the injured to hospitals, in addition to 85 ambulances, 35 light trucks and 29 heavy trucks.

“The immediate priority remains search and rescue, in order to save as many lives as possible and to make sure the injured receive appropriate medical care,” explains Chang Hun Choe, the head of delegation in Tehran with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent.

“The priorities for the survivors are tents, blankets, food and water in the immediate aftermath," Chang said.

The Iranian Red Crescent has already distributed emergency relief assistance, including nearly 3,000 tents, 1,300 kitchen sets, some 10,000 blankets and 200 small carpets, more than 1,200 stoves, as well as thousands of bottles of mineral water and cans of food.

The Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in Tehran says a UN Rapid Assessment Team, including representatives of UNICEF, the World Health Organization, and the UN Development Programme, left Tehran for Borujerd on Saturday.