At least 500 Iranians died, and over 1,000 were injured in an earthquake, which occurred on Tuesday in southeast Iran, according to a report in the London-based daily Al-Hayyat.
It took only 11 seconds for the earthquake, which measured 6.4 on the Richter scale, to almost completely destroy dozens of villages in the Kirman region. Informed sources say the number of casualties might increase dramatically, in light of reports about the complete destruction of two villages – Daghouya and Houdkan – where 1,000 people live.
Rescue work is still in progress, but heavy rains are disrupting the efforts.
Iran’s authorities have said they will not ask for international aid.
This latest earthquake comes just over a year after a devastating earthquake in the city of Bam, 250 km (155 miles) southeast of Kirman. 31,000 people died in Bam in December 2003.
Nevertheless, a spokesman for Iran’s Internal Affairs Ministry told Al-Hayyat that the volume of damage in Tuesday’s earthquake does not come near that which was incurred in Bam.