NEWS

about Earthquake in Iran

Iran - Earthquake

DHA-Geneva Situation Report No. 6

19 May 1997
 
I. SITUATION
 
1. The Disaster Task Force (DTF) has released preliminary information on the
cost of damage caused by the earthquake. The total damage is estimated at
Rials 300 billion (USD 100 million), broken down as follows:
 
Rials USD
Housing: 110 billion 36.7 million
Agricultural supplies: 40 billion 13.3 million
Education system: 50 billion 16.7 million
Electricity, roads, water supply systems:70 billion 23.3 million
Health and others: 30 billion 10 million
Total 300 billion 100 million
 
No new figures have been released for human losses.
 
II. NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
 
2. In its meeting of 18 May 1997, the Cabinet of Ministers reviewed the
relief operation and the rehabilitation and reconstruction requirements of
the affected area. The Government is finalizing a reconstruction plan for
the area to be initiated soon.
 
3. The relief operation continues in full force. The affected families have
been issued ration books by the Iranian Red Crescent Society which entitle
each family to receive basic food items as well as detergent/soap. So far,
the following relief items have been distributed: 17,483 tents, 47,258
blankets, 6,625 heaters, 6,449 lanterns, 11,031 utensils, 30,905 jerry cans
and 1,000 MT of food.
 
4. International assistance is continuing to arrive in the country. To date,
54 planes, carrying a total of 1,450 MT of relief items, have landed at
Mashhad airport. The UN maintains a representative at Mashhad airport to
assist the incoming relief flights.
 
5. A UN Team has been dispatched today to the disaster-affected area. The
objectives of the mission are to review the relief operation and highlight
any outstanding relief needs, and to identify the immediate requirements for
health care, education, drinking water supply and agriculture (including
irrigation). It is expected that the UN team will produce a joint project
concept to be shared with the donor community for possible funding. The UN
team is scheduled to return to Tehran on Thursday, 22 May 1997.
 
6. To date, the donations reported to the UN Resident Coordinator in Iran
and to DHA Geneva by the international community in response to this
disaster amount to over USD 10 million, including all channels (UN system,
bilateral, IFRC/Red Cross/Crescent and NGO's). The breakdown of
contributions is reflected in section III. below. In addition, the
Governments of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Egypt have sent relief cargo planes
with unspecified values.
 
7. IFRC reports that there has, so far, been a very generous response in
terms of cash and in-kind contributions to its appeal for CHF 12 million,
with almost 70 per cent of the target met.
 
III. INTERNATIONAL PLEDGES AND CONTRIBUTIONS
 
UN SYSTEM
USD
 
DHA - Dispatch of an UNDAC team +++
- Emergency grant 50,000
- Unearmarked funds 30,000
FAO Essential agricultural inputs 110,000
UNDP Logistics support 200,000
UNFPA Medical supplies 100,000
UNHCR Plastic sheeting 100,000
UNICEF Medical and water/sanitation items 110,000
WFP Food supplies 200,000
WHO Medicines 50,650
 
IGO
 
ECU 800,000 through Medicins du Monde International:
ECHO Two medical teams with: 909,090
- 52mt of medicines, high protein biscuits, tents, surgical
kits, etc.
OPEC Cash for local purchase of relief items through DHA 300,000
 
GOVERNMENTS
 
AUSTRALIA Cash AUD 200,000 156,200
BELGIUM Cash through Flemish Red Cross 285,000
CANADA Contribution through IFRC 120,000
DENMARK Cash through UNDP 35,000
Cash through IFRC - DKR 2,000,000 303,951
FINLAND Contribution through IFRC - FIM 669,660 128,780
FRANCE 39 MT of relief supplies +++
35 MT of relief supplies 260,000
Cash Contribution through German Red Cross for
GERMANY relief goods (blankets,tents, water tanks) and 346,300
transport - DM 599,100
GREECE 20mt of relief items 150,000
IRELAND Contribution through IFRC 115,000
ITALY -Relief goods from DHA Pisa Warehouse 130,000
- Emergency health kits from DHA Pisa Warehouse
through DHA/WHO 112,000
- Cash through WHO 50,000
JAPAN - Bilateral cash grant 200,000
- Airlift of relief items,
including transport
- YEN 50,057,000 396,491
NETHERLANDS - NLG 100,000 through UNDP 51,200
- NLG 200,000 through DHA 102,500
- NLG 200,000 through Netherlands RC 102,500
- Transport of relief supplies from DHA Pisa
Warehouse by
Royal Netherlands Air Force +++
NEW ZEALAND Cash - NZD 75,000 through DHA 52,000
NORWAY - NOK 7,500,000 through Norwegian Red Cross 1,059,300
- Relief supplies from the DHA Pisa Warehouse 25,200
- One UNDAC team member +++
 
PAKISTAN - Two airlifts with emergency relief items +++
including medicine, tents, blankets.
REPUBLIC OF
KOREA In-kind contribution (emergency relief items) 50,000
RUSSIAN Dispatch of two cargo aircraft with relief
FEDERATION supplies (flour, tents, medicines) 270,000
SPAIN Air consignment of relief goods 150,000
Two airlifts with medicine and powder milk and
SYRIA and three airlifts with food, blankets and +++
tents
 
SWEDEN Cash SEK 1,000,000 Through IFRC for local 127,713
procurement of tents and blankets
SWITZERLAND - Reconnaissance team +++
- CHF 290,000 for airlift of relief
supplies:blankets, tents, clothes, etc.,through 200,000
Swiss RC
 
UK - Cash for local purchase of relief supplies - 161,290
GBP 100,000 through IRCS
- Provision of transport and associated costs
for air consignment of relief goods by OXFAM - 181,358
GBP 112,442
UAE Airlift of 80mt of tents, food and medicines +++
USA Cash through IFRC 100,000
 
NGOs
 
ASSOC. OF MEDICAL DOCTORS Dispatch of one AMDA Japan Team.
OF ASIA One WHO medical kit and other supplies 28,000
Relief goods: 750 emergency shelters
250 blankets, 70 rolls plastic
OXFAM sheeting +++
450 tarpaulins, 5 trucking
bladder tanks
In-kind contribution through IFRC (GBP
110,042) 117,487
OTHER NGOs Contributions in cash and in-kind 30,000
 
RED CROSS/CRESCENT SOCIETIES (THROUGH IFRC)
 
ALGERIAN RC Cash 100,000
ARAB SECRETARIAT Cash 5,000
 
AUSTRIA RC Tents, blankets 202,312
- DM 350,000
BRITISH RC Cash - GBP 100,000 161,290
In-kind - GBP 50,000 80,645
CANADA RC Cash - CAD 5,000 3,571
- Medical supplies
CHINA RC - 2,000 blankets 60,386
- 1,600 kg milk powder
RMB 500,000
DENMARK RC Cash - DKK 250,000 37,993
Blankets, tents -
DKK 250,000 37,993
EGYPT RC Relief goods100,000
GERMAN RC/GOVT Cash - DM 50,000 29,902
JAPAN RC Cash - JPY 30,000,000 236,220
2,255 blankets - JPY 9,024,000 71,055
KUWAIT RC Cash 20,000
LYBIA RC Cash - CHF 10,000 6,896
NETHERLANDS RC Cash - NLG 50,000 25,641
 
NORWAY RC Blankets, water 155,367
- NOK 1,100,000
PRIVATE Cash - DM 15,000 8,670
SWEDEN RC/GOVT Cash - CHF 300,000 206,896
TURKEY RC Relief goods 110,000
YEMEN RC/GOVT Relief goods +++
ECHO/NETHERLANDS RC XEU - 1,000,000 1,136,363
TOTAL: 10,593,210
 
+++ = Value of contribution not specified
 
IV. CHANNELS FOR DELIVERY OF INTERNATIONAL AID
 
8. Assistance may be channelled through DHA-Geneva or the Office of the UN
Coordinator in Tehran. A report on the utilization of the assistance will be
prepared indicating separately the use of each donation. Further information
can be obtained through the UN Coordination Office in Tehran, Mr. H. R.
Ghaffarzadeh, Tel: +98 21 873 15 80, Fax: +98 21 873 88 64.
 
9. Funds channelled through DHA for the immediate relief phase will be spent
in coordination with the relevant organizations of the UN system, and DHA
provides donor Governments with written confirmation on their use.
 
10. Funds should be transferred to DHA account No. CO-590.160. at Swiss Bank
Cooperation, POB 2770, CH-1211 Geneva 2, with reference. Iran
earthquake/South Khorasan, DHA-Geneva.
 
11. For coordination purposes, donors are requested to inform DHA-Geneva of
bilateral pledges, contributions and other activities, indicating the
corresponding value by item.
 
Telephone No. +41-22-917.12.34
In case of emergency only: Tel. +41-22-917.20.10
Desk Officers: Ms. S. Metzner-Strack, Tel. 41-22-917.21.44,
Mr. T. Peter, Tel. 41-22-917.31.43
Press to contact: Ms. Moulin-Acevedo, Direct Tel. +41-22-917.28.56
Telex: 414242 DHA CH
Fax: +41-22-917.00.23
E-mail: DHAGVA@DHA.UNICC.ORG

How to Help

for Khorasan Earthquake Victims in Iran

As you know, a devastating earthquake hit the mountainous region
of Khorasan in Northeastern Iran. The earthquake struck on May 10
with a magnitude of 7.1 and was centered 65 miles north-northeast
of Birjand, near the town of Qaen. About 130 aftershocks shook what
was left standing, forcing tens of thousands to camp in the streets
of stricken villages. The powerful earthquake killed at least 2,400
people, and injured more than 6,000.
 

Organization listed below, have established an Earthquake Relief account to help the Iranian quake victims.

All your donations are tax deductible. The collected money will be handled and processed through UNICEF with supervision of representatives from all the involved organizations, without any deductions from UNICEF or others.
The Help will be forwarded by UNICEF, with the help of the UNICEF
field office in Iran.

Please forward your generous donations to:

U.S. Commitee for UNICEF

(For Iranian Earthquake)

333 East 38th. Street, New York, NY 10016

Please get other organizations and groups involved in this effort.
In some companies, employee donations may be matched by the employers. Please find out and see if you can collect more money
in that way. We also request that you share this message with friends
and family and forward it to other mailing lists that you may know of. Thanks.
 
Appadana TV - Assyrian TV- Azarbayjan's Association - Bonyad-e-Towhid - Fars TV - Iranian Foundation for Defense of Human Rights- Iranian National Front (Northern California) - Iran Journal Monthly- Persian Center - Pezhvak Corporation- Radio Havaye Tazeh- The Society of Iranian Professionals

U.N Report on Iran quake - No. 3

Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 09:44:36 -0800
Iran Earthquake Situation Report No.3
DHA-Geneva Situation Report No. 3
12 May 1997
 
I. SITUATION
 
1. According to latest official figures of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
the death toll is still estimated at over 2,000, with over 5,000 persons
injured. Many of those injured have already been sent to the nearby cities
of Tabas, Torbat-Heydarich, Gonabad, Ferdows and Mashad for hospitalization
and treatment.
 
2. According to the Disaster Task Force (DTF), over 185 aftershocks have
occurred measuring 2.8 to 5.5 on the Richter Scale. Over 100 schools and
many health posts, rural health centres and hospitals have suffered between
20-100% destruction. Roads, governmental buildings and other infrastructure
facilities have also been reported damaged. Detailed information on the
magnitude of the devastation will be available shortly.
 
3. Regarding the impact of the earthquake in border areas of Afghanistan,
UNOCHA Islamabad advises that 2 persons are reported dead and 4 injured.
While further assessments are still ongoing, it appears at this stage that
the damage caused by the earthquake in Afghanistan is limited.
 
II. NATIONAL RESPONSE
 
4. Rescue operations which began immediately after the earthquake are
effectively and massively in place, covering the entire area. More than
3,000 rescue teams, including medical and para-medical personnel, engineers
from the Red Crescent Society of Iran, the Ministry of Construction Jihad,
and mobilization units, are working continuously. Six helicopters and nine
C-130 aircraft from Tehran and other provinces have flown to the area for
coordinated air/land rescue operations.
 
5. The people of the I.R. of Iran, shocked by the tragedy, have donated
humanitarian assistance at an emergency level to the earthquake affected
victims. Up to now, the amount of assistance provided locally includes
10,075 tents and other related items, 52,363 cans of food, 106 vehicles, 23
trucks and compressors, 7 cranes, 4 bulldozers, 11 trailers, 65 MT of food
(rice, grains, sugar and cooking oil), 32,511 blankets, 107 ambulances, 49
water tankers, 3 winches, 3 graders, 3 buses, 2,827 cookers.
 
6. On the morning of 12 May 1997, H. E. Mr. A. M. Besharali, the Minister of
Interior, has joined the DTF high level team members in the affected areas
for a personal visit. Also H. E. Mr. Zargar, Deputy Minister of Interior for
Development Affairs, is closely supervising the emergency operation. From
the UN side, the latest information on the situation is expected from the UN
assessment team, due to return to Tehran late in the evening of 12 May 1997.
 
III. INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
 
7. A UN international appeal was launched at 16:00 hrs local time on 11 May 1997.
 
8. The Government of Switzerland has sent an advanced rescue and
reconnaissance team (8 persons of the Swiss Disaster Relief Unit).
 
9. The Government of France has sent 40 MT of emergency items by aircraft.
The emergency items have been dispatched to the disaster area.
 
10. Based on the latest information, the Government of the Russian
Federation has taken the decision to dispatch two cargo planes with relief
supplies (flour, tents, medicine) on 13 May 1997.
 
11. The Government of the State of Kuwait has indicated that their emergency
assistance will reach Tehran in the afternoon of 12 May 1997.
 
12. The Government of Japan is contributing the following relief items: 280
tents, 2,000 blankets, 1,000 torch lights (including batteries) and 1,000
water tanks. The value of the shipment totals USD 260,000, including
transport.
 
13. The Government of the United Kingdom approved a contribution of PDS
STLRG 100,000 (about USD 160,000) through IFRC for the local purchase of
relief supplies.
 
14. IFRC has launched a preliminary appeal for CHF 12 million to assist
60,000 people for 4 months. A Federation senior liaison officer has been
fielded to Iran to assist in the coordination of international relief
activities.
 
15. UNDP has pledged USD 200,000 subject to the approval from Headquarters,
UNICEF has allocated USD 100,000 for water/sanitation and basic health
purposes. WHO has pledged USD 10,000 from its local budget and UNHCR is
providing plastic sheeting.
 
16. DHA has provided an emergency grant of USD 50,000 for the local purchase
of relief supplies and will dispatch a two person UN Disaster Assessment and
Coordination (UNDAC) Team in order to support the UN Coordinator in Iran. In
cooperation with WHO, DHA is preparing an airlift of requested emergency
relief items and medical supplies from the DHA Warehouse in Pisa, Italy,
subject to the approval of specific contents by the Iranian Government. The
bulk of the relief items to be airlifted will be a gift of the Italian
Government. The shipment will also include blankets donated by the
Government of Norway.
 
IV. REQUIREMENTS FOR INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE
 
17. The following items are needed on an emergency basis: plastic water
containers, cookers, lamps, power generators, shoes and clothing, canned
food, floor covering, blankets, and medicine.
 
18. A meeting with the DTF members at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is
tentatively scheduled on 13 May 1997 upon the return of the Head of the DTF.
This meeting will be followed by a meeting with the donor community.
 
V. CHANNELS FOR DELIVERY OF INTERNATIONAL AID
 
19. Assistance could be channelled through DHA-Geneva or the Office of the
UN Coordinator in Tehran. A report on the utilization of the assistance will
be prepared indicating separately the use of each donation. Further
information could be obtained through the UN Coordination Office in Tehran,
Mr. H. R. Ghaffarzadeh, Tel: +98 21 873 15 80, Fax: +98 21 873 88 64.
 
20. Funds channelled through DHA for the immediate relief phase will be
spent in coordination with the relevant organizations of the UN system, and
DHA provides donor Governments with written confirmation on their use.
 
21. Funds should be transferred to DHA account No. CO-590.160. at Swiss Bank
Cooperation, POB 2770, CH-1211 Geneva 2, with reference. Iran
earthquake/South Khorasan, DHA-Geneva.
 
22. For coordination purposes, donors are requested to inform DHA-Geneva of
bilateral pledges, contributions and other activities, indicating the
corresponding value by item.
 
Telephone No. +41-22-917.12.34
In case of emergency only: Tel. +41-22-917.20.10
Desk Officers: Ms. S. Metzner-Strack, Tel. 41-22-917.21.44,
Mr. T. Peter, Tel. 41-22-917.31.43
Press to contact: Ms. Moulin-Acevedo, Direct Tel. +41-22-917.28.56
Telex: 414242 DHA CH
Fax: +41-22-917.00.23
E-mail: DHAGVA@DHA.UNICC.ORG

Iran issues new, lower earthquake death toll

May 13, 1997
QAEN, Iran (CNN) -- Iranian officials lowered their estimate of the death
toll from the weekend's devastating earthquake Tuesday, while survivors
and rescue teams dug through debris amid waning hope of finding more
survivors. A new jolt late on Monday struck with a force of 4.8 magnitude,
but there was no word on casualties or damage. The Iranian Ministry of the Interior reported the exact number of dead from the Saturday earthquake counted so far is 1,560, with 2,810 people registered as injured.
Interior Ministry officials said the death toll may indeed go higher but would not speculate on what the final number might be. Some 148 villages were damaged leaving at least 50,000 people homeless following Saturday's 7.1 magnitude
quake, officials said. There was no explanation for earlier
official reports that about 2,400 had died
and 6,000 were injured.
United Nations Resident Coordinator for
Iran Michael Schulenburg told CNN it
will take at least a week for all the dead
to be registered.
 
Schulenburg said his teams on the ground are telling him that reports on Iranian television of up to 4,000 people dead appear to be much too high.

Damage estimate

Rasul Zargar, chief of the Interior Ministry's headquarters in charge of natural
disasters, said 10,500 tents, 25,000 blankets and large quantities of food and
clothing had been distributed among survivors.
The total damage inflicted on the region would be released next week, he added.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies has sent out an
appeal for $8.2 million to aid the quake-stricken area. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait,
Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Egypt are among the nations who
have pledged aid. Even the United States and Germany -- two countries at odds with Tehran's government -- have promised assistance through the Red Cross. Germany's Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel said his country would send $290,000, while Washington has pledged $100,000.
Iranian officials have put a cost of $100 million on damage caused by the earthquake, the second major jolt to strike Iran in less than three months.
About 1,000 people were killed and 2,600 injured in February when a 5.5 magnitude quake hit Iran's northwest.

Reuters contributed to this report.

New jolt hits Iran, victims of first quake await aid

May 12, 1997

May 12, 1997
QAEN, Iran (Reuters) -- Another earthquake hit Iran Monday, two days after a
massive quake devastated the country's eastern region killing nearly 2,400 people.
The new quake, registering 4.8 on the Richter scale, hit the cities of Ardabil and Nir
in northwestern Iran, but there was no report yet on possible loss of life or damage
to property, the official news agency IRNA reported.
It struck as survivors of Saturday's force 7.1 quake in eastern Iran were still
scrambling among the ruins of their homes and burying their dead as they waited for
international aid in response to a government appeal.
Many tremors with magnitude of more than four have hit Ardabil since February 28
when an earthquake with an intensity of 5.5 jolted the region, killing about 1,000
people and injuring at least 2,600.

Iran president visits quake zone

May 12, 1997 Courtesy of CNN
QAEN, Iran (CNN) -- In the rubble of Iranian villages
hardest hit by a weekend earthquake, men, women and
children wept and picked through the debris of their
mud-brick homes on Monday, searching for survivors and
something to salvage.
Iran's president interrupted a visit to neighboring Turkmenistan to inspect
devastation caused by the huge quake, which killed about 2,500 people, Iranian
media reported.
It said President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani flew to Birjand, one of two regions ineastern Iran rocked by Saturday's magnitude 7.1 quake.
He visited villages in the area at the Afghan border before heading to Qaen, near the
epicenter of the earthquake, which leveled some 200 villages and injured some 4,500
people.
Survivors of the quake were still scrambling among the ruins of their homes and burying
their dead while waiting for international aid in response to a government appeal.
An Iranian Red Crescent spokesman said rescue workers would comb the quake-stricken
areas one more time for survivors and bodies before winding up their operations.
"Rescue work will probably end (Monday)but the area has to be checked once more before that," he said. 50,000 homeless More than 155 aftershocks -- including a magnitude 4.8 quake in northwestern Iran on Monday -- have rocked the country since Saturday, leaving about 50,000 people homeless, the aid agency said. Tens of thousands camped in streets full of rubble.
A huge relief effort was under way in the 60-mile stretch between Birjand and Qaen, a
region dotted by poor villages and mud huts near the Afghan border.
Convoys of buses, trucks and pickups rushed hundreds of volunteers over narrow dirt
roads to the remote mountain area.
Iranian military aircraft flew 80 tons of food, clothes and medicine to the region.
The government said it would pay 500,000 rials ($167) to every person who lost a
relative, Iran's news agency IRNA said. Countries responding to Iran's appeal
France sent a cargo plane carrying 39 tons of blankets, tents, clothes and
food. The aid will be handed over to the Red Crescent in the Iranian town of
Mashhad, the French Foreign Ministry said.
Switzerland dispatched a nine-member rescue team and specially trained dogs to help search for survivors.
The British government donated 100,000 pounds ($160,000) to the Red Crescent for buying medicine and other aid.
Italy will send a plane carrying 36 tons of medicine and other aid in the next few days.
Germany pledged funds to the German Red Cross, which planned to send a
planeload of supplies.
Japan will give $200,000 in cash and relief goods worth $417,000, including 280 tents, 2,000 blankets, 1,000 plastic water containers and 1,000 flashlights.
Russia will send two cargo planes of food, medicine, tents and other goods to the region, ITAR-Tass reported.
The Turkish Red Crescent sent 20 tons of aid worth $110,000 aboard a military plane.
Greece said it was airlifting 20 tons of medicine as well as a three-member
surgical team from the non-governmental organization Doctors of the World.
In Saudi Arabia, King Fahd ordered two cargo planes to Iran with tents, blankets, rugs, food and medicine.
The emir of Kuwait, Sheik Jaber al-Ahmed al-Sabah, ordered the shipment of aid, as did the Cabinet in Bahrain.
The United Arab Emirates sent two planes with tents, medicine and food.
Egypt sent a planeload of supplies.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.  

Iran launches rescue efforts after quake kills 2,400

'Smell of death' spreads across region

May 11, 1997

QAEN, Iran (CNN) -- Military planes rushed food, clothes and medicine Sunday
to remote mountain regions in northeastern Iran, where a powerful earthquake killed
nearly 2,400 people, according to the official Iranian news agency IRNA.
The region was filled with tears and cries for the dead Sunday as rescue crews
searched for signs of life amid the twisted debris.
 
"God, God, why are you punishing
us," cried one man, as he carried a
body to a newly dug grave.
At least 6,000 people were injured in
Saturday's earthquake, and Iranian
officials appealed for aid for the
estimated 200 stricken villages, many
of them cut off by landslides.
Mohammad Chaboki told the German Press Agency that two of his children were killed and his wife remained in the hospital with a concussion.
 
 
"All we can feel is the smell of death in our villages," he said. "There is nothing left in our village worth staying for."
-- Mohammad Chaboki
 

Children wander streets

 
The magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the Khorasan province at 12:28 p.m. (0758
GMT) and was centered 65 miles (105 kilometers) north-northeast of Birjand, near
the town of Qaen, about 70 miles (115 kilometers) west of the Afghan border.
The quake could be felt across four Iranian provinces, and as far away as 450 miles (700 km).
Most of the damage occurred in the
60-mile (95-kilometer) stretch between Birjand and Qaen, a region dotted by
poor villages and mud huts. Iranian
television showed children wandering
aimlessly amid the rubble of Qaen,
where barely a wall was left standing.
"I heard the mountain roar like a dragon,
and suddenly the air became dark as
night from the thick cloud of dust," one
man said.
 

110 killed in school collapse

Tens of thousands camped in the streets
overnight, fearful that aftershocks would topple what was left.
In the village of Ardakul, about 60 miles (95 km) east of Qaen, more than 500 of the
village's 1,600 residents were killed by falling homes or buildings; 110 girls were killed when their school collapsed. "My flower, my flower, why did you leave me," wailed Mohammad Alijan as he lifted the body of his 9-year-old daughter, Mahbubeh. "I
wished to see your marriage, now I see your dead body."
 

Aid shipments

About 2,000 Iranian volunteers hurried to the region to help dig out the dead and
injured, the Iranian news agency said. The Iranian Red Crescent said it sent 9,000
tents, more than 18,000 blankets and canned food, rice and dates to survivors.
France sent a cargo plane carrying 39 tons of blankets, tents, clothes and food
Sunday, the French Foreign Ministry said.
In addition, four U.S.-made C-130 planes and four helicopters reportedly flew some
80 tons of aid to the region Sunday, the Iranian news agency said.
It was not immediately clear when the aid would reach the remote villages, where
makeshift hospitals were filled with the injured -- many of whom suffered cuts and
broken bones. Intravenous sacks hung from coat hangers.
"I can't deal with this alone," Dr. Mohammad Hossein Mozaffar said from a Qaen
hospital.
Saturday's earthquake was the most devastating to strike Iran since two powerful
quakes hit northwestern Gilan and Zanjan provinces on June 21, 1990.
Approximately 50,000 people were killed and 60,000 injured in the quakes, which
had magnitudes of 7.3 and 7.7.
The last major earthquake to hit Khorasan struck September 16, 1978, killing 25,000
people.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.  

Iran Reaches for International Aid After a Devastating Quake

Courtesy of Associated Press

QAEN, IRAN -- Following the powerful earthquake that devastated 200 villages in the remote mountains of northeastern Iran on Saturday, killing at least 2,000 and injuring more than 5,000, Iran appealed for international aid for the stricken villages and towns, many of them cut off by landslides triggered by the quake.
People slept in the streets of Qaen, shivering in the 41-degree air but too scared to go indoors, fearing that further quakes would strike the region. Ten thousand homes collapsed in the town of Qaen, the official Islamic Republic News Agency said.
The earthquake struck at 12:28 p.m. (4:58 a.m. EST) with a moment magnitude of
7.1, according to the US Geological Survey in Golden, Colo. It was centered 65
miles north-northeast of Birjand, near Qaen, about 70 miles west of the Afghan
border.
Most of the damage occurred in the 60-mile stretch between Birjand and Qaen, a
region dotted by poor villages and mud huts. The official Islamic Republic News
Agency said there was also considerable damage in Afghanistan, but gave no other
details. Red Cross and United Nations officials, however, said they had not
received reports of major damage there.
"I was outside when I heard the mountain roar like a dragon, and suddenly the air
became dark as night from the thick cloud of dust," one survivor, Gholamreza
Nowrouz-Zadeh, said.
President Hashemi Rafsanjani, on a visit to Tajikistan, sent his condolences to
quake victims and their families, the Islamic Republic News Agency reported.
The government sent four US-made C-130 cargo planes and four helicopters,
carrying at least 80 tons of aid to the region, the agency said, quoting Rasul
Zargar, the deputy interior minister for natural disaster.
The Iranian Red Crescent has sent 9,000 tents, 18,400 blankets and canned food, rice and dates, Alireza Bokaie, the group's spokesman in Tehran, told the agency Sunday.
Tehran radio said some 200 villages were either destroyed or severely damaged, and 400 relief teams had been dispatched to the area, home to about 40,000 people.
Because many of the narrow dirt roads to the area were cut off by landslides or had collapsed in the quake, helicopters ferried tents, food, and fuel to villages from Mashhad.
The earthquake also was felt in the neighboring provinces of Sistan-Baluchestan, Kerman, and Semnan, Tehran radio said.
It was the strongest earthquake to strike Iran since two powerful temblors hit northwestern Gilan and Zanjan provinces on June 21, 1990. About 50,000 people were killed and 60,000 injured in the quakes, which had magnitudes of 7.3 and 7.7.
The last major quake to hit Khorasan struck on Sept. 16, 1978, killing 25,000 people. That temblor, one of the most powerful to hit Iran, measured 7.7. Iran is prone to earthquakes and experiences scores of small tremors every year.
The moment magnitude form of measuring quakes is related to the size of the earthquake fault and the amount the ground slips, as determined by analysis of seismic waves. The new magnitude values differ slightly from those of the Richter scale, which is no longer widely used by seismologists.

Powerful quake in Iran kills 2,400, injures 6,000

May 10, 1997

TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- A powerful earthquake jolted Iran's rugged Khorasan
province Saturday, killing nearly 2,400 people and injuring an estimated 6,000.
The quake struck the remote eastern region of Iran bordering Afghanistan and
Turkmenistan at 12:30 p.m., according to Khosrov Solltani, deputy executive editor
of Iran News. Some 200 villages were either destroyed or severely damaged, Tehran
radio reported.
The U.S. Geological Survey told CNN the quake had a magnitude of 7.3, and was
followed by approximately 30 aftershocks measuring from 3.3 to 5.5.
It was centered 65 miles (105 kilometers) northeast of Birjand and inflicted particular
damage in a rural, 60-mile stretch between Birjand and Qayen where about 40,000
people live.

Mountain 'roars like a dragon'

"I was outside when I heard the mountain roar like a dragon and suddenly the air
became dark as night from the thick cloud of dust," survivor Gholamreza
Nowrouz-Zadeh said.
In Ardakul, 60 miles east of Qayen, more than 100 children were killed when a
schoolhouse collapsed. Nowrouz-Zadeh said that all six of his grandchildren were
killed in the accident.
Iranian television said 800 bodies were pulled from rubble near Qayen, where many
of the houses are made of mud. Fearful of being trapped indoors by another quake,
residents slept on the streets, shivering in the cold.
The quake struck several provinces and the holy city of Mashad, Iran's second
largest city with a population of 2 million. Kerman and Semnan provinces near the
Pakistan border and part of Sistan-Baluchestan province also were hit.
Although sketchy reports so far have made it difficult to assess the damage, it is clear
that numerous obstacles impede rescue efforts.
Landslides triggered by the quake have rendered many of the narrow dirt roads in the
region impassable. Some of the villages were as much as 90 miles (150 kilometers)
from the nearest hospital.
"We have pulled out scores of people from under the rubble, and relief operations are
still going on," said an official in the governor's office in Birjand who identified
himself as Maleki.
"Some were dead, and some died on the way to the hospital, but we still cannot say
how many have died."

Iran appeals for aid

Rescue teams from Iran's Red Crescent society as well as police and military have
been dispatched to the area with heavy equipment and helicopters.
Iran Interior Minister Ali Mohammed Besharati asked for international aid, saying
Iran was "ready to receive assistance from our God-seeking compatriots and from
those countries that would like to assist the earthquake victims," Tehran television
reported.
The radio broadcast an urgent appeal for surgical teams, medical supplies, tents,
food, water tankers and ambulances. Water and power lines to the region were said
to be severed.
The earthquake was the worst to strike Iran since two powerful temblors hit
northwestern Gilan and Zanjan provinces on June 21, 1990. Approximately 50,000
people were killed and 60,000 injured in the quakes, which had magnitudes of 7.3
and 7.7.
The last major earthquake to hit Khorasan struck September 16, 1978, killing 25,000
people. That temblor, one of the most powerful to hit Iran, measured 7.7.
Iran prone to earthquakes
Iran is prone to earthquakes and experiences hundreds of small tremors each year.
In February, at least 1,000 people were killed and more than 36,000 left homeless
when a quake measuring 5.5 hit northwest Iran.
Earthquakes are measured by what is known as "moment magnitude," a slightly
different method from the familiar Richter scale which is no longer widely used.
Moment magnitude relates to the size of the earthquake fault and the amount of
ground slippage as determined by analysis of seismic waves.
A magnitude 3.5 earthquake causes slight damage, a 4 causes moderate damage, a 5
considerable damage and a 6 severe damage. Any reading over a 7 is considered a
major earthquake. 
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.  

News Release

International Federation of Red Cross

and Red Crescent Societies

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Immediate aid to Iran
Geneva, 11 May 1997
 
The Geneva based International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies today launched an appeal
for 12 million Swiss francs to assist victims of yesterday's massive earthquake in eastern Iran.
The aid is sought on behalf of the Iranian Red Crescent (IRCS) whose staff and volunteers have been working
non-stop since the disaster struck, leaving at least 2,000 people dead and tens of thousands homeless.
The money will be used to provide vital relief supplies, including emergency food, shelter, warm clothing, cooking utensils, water and hygiene items.
A senior official from the International Federation will arrive in Tehran tomorrow (Monday) to help coordinate the international relief effort and, earlier today, the Federation released 100,000 Swiss francs from its stand by disaster relief emergency fund.
"The speed with which the Iranian Red Crescent sought international assistance indicates how serious this disaster is", commented Margareta Wahlström, the International Federation's Under Secretary General for Disaster Response. "The survivors of the catastrophe are probably facing the most difficult months of their
lives, homeless and bereaved, enduring freezing night-time temperatures and in desperate need of immediate support".
The Iranian Red Crescent is one of 171 Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies that are members of the International Federation, the world's largest international humanitarian network.
For further information or to arrange interviews please contact :
Jón Valfells, Head, Media Service
(41 22) 730 4374
Marie-Françoise Borel, Information Officer
(41 22) 730 4346
Helge Kvam, Information Officer
(41 22) 730 4214

info@irantelaat.com