About 500 People Killed as Strong Quake Hits a City in Southeast Iran

The state television reported that about 500 people have been killed as a result of the quake.

The reports from the region also said that more than 70 percent of the city has been destroyed by the quake.

The deadly quake which hit the city at 05:28 local time was followed by aftershocks measuring 5.3 and 4.5 on the Richter scales accordingly.

Bijan Daftari, chairman of the Relief and Rescue Committee of the Red Cross, told the Mehr News Agency that rescue operations have been pouring in from the capital city of Kerman and neighboring provinces.

Daftari said due to the large scale of the damages several medical teams have been dispatched to the quake-stricken area, from the cities of Isfahan, Yazd and Kerman.

Daftari said the number of injuries and deaths was high, adding that two helicopters from the Red Cross and four others from the Unprecedented Accidents Headquarters along with some sniffer dogs have been brought to the area.

The epicenter of the quake was 180 kilometers from Kerman.

MS/IS

END

MNA