Publish Date: 3 February 2023 - 15:53

TEHRAN, Feb. 03 (MNA) – In the third follow-up on the situation of the people in the quake-hit city of Khoy, President Raeisi held a phone call with the West Azarbaijan province governor on Friday and urged for speeding up the reconstruction.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi, during the phone call, also ordered increasing the number of temporary accommodation camps and shelters due to the frigid cold weather and meet the people's needs.

The governor of the West Azarbaijan province, for his part, provided Raeisi with a detailed report on the latest relief situation.

So far, 60 temporary accommodation camps have been established in Khoy city, and the number of these camps will increase to 100, according to him.

Saying that about 12.000 residential buildings in urban and rural areas have been damaged due to the recent quake, the governor added that so far more than 25.000 tents have been distributed among the people.

A 5.9-magnitude earthquake hit the city at 9:44 pm local time on January 28. The epicenter was located 23 kilometers southeast of Khoy with a population of 175,000.

At least three people died and over 900 were injured as a result of a powerful earthquake.

The earthquake caused 20 to 50 percent damage to buildings in 70 villages, according to the Governor of the West Azarbaijan Province.

MP