Iran: Earthquake [CWS: 06-Feb-97]
Iran: Earthquake [CWS: 06-Feb-97]
CHURCH WORLD SERVICE
EMERGENCY RESPONSE OFFICE
32 Denominations & Communions Working Together to Meet Human Needs
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FIRST ALERT - IRANIAN EARTHQUAKE
FEBRUARY 6, 1997
This alert does not guarantee that an appeal will follow. To give your
input, see contact at end of bulletin.
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The death toll from a series of earthquakes that flattened remote mud
villages in mountainous northeastern Iran now stands at 72. Two hundred
are reported injured.
Worsening the situation were more than 100 aftershocks -- one Wednesday
measured 5.7 on the Richter scale, according to Radio Tehran. The
earthquakes and aftershocks were centered in and around Bojnurd, about 360
miles northeast of Tehran. Two earthquakes Tuesday measured 5.4 and 6.1 on
the Richter scale.
The dead lived in Bojnurd and nearby Shirvan, rescue workers said.
Villages there were either leveled or heavily damaged, and rescue teams
have yet to reach some two dozen other communities cut off due to damaged
roads and landslides. The Bojnurd area, near the border with Turkmenistan,
has an estimated population of 14,000 people.
More than 2,800 houses in the region were severely damaged, said the Red
Crescent, the Muslim version of the Red Cross.
Emergency supplies -- including tents, blankets, foodstuffs, clothing and
heaters -- were being sent by land and air to the stricken rural region,
but snow and the damaged roads have hindered relief efforts.
The Middle East Council of Churches, the CWS partner in the region, has a
representative in Iran who is assessing needs.
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