The Hindu : Iran shifts focus to relief

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 30, 2003

International

International

Iran shifts focus to relief

By Atul Aneja

MANAMA DEC. 29 With hopes of finding survivors 72 hours after the killer earthquake shook south-eastern Iran receding, teams of Iranian and international rescue workers have begun to focus more on providing relief to the suffering and the injured.

The State-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) quoted the Iranian Interior Minister, Abdulvahed Mousavi Lari, as saying that around 20,000 bodies had been recovered but the toll could be much higher.

A Ministry spokesman later said 25,000 bodies had been buried by Monday morning. With additional casualties coming to light, Friday's quake in the ancient city of Bam has turned out to be the worst in a decade, exceeding the number of fatalities in the Gujarat quake in January 2001.

The Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who visited the devastated city, told hundreds of affected people that he shared their sorrow and pledged speedy reconstruction of the city.

"I've come here to express my condolences and tell you that I share your grief at the beloved ones who have died," he said.

"Aid should continue to come so that, God willing, the city of Bam is rebuilt better and this time stronger than before. We can build a strong and developed city out of this devastation."

Aftershocks

But prior to Mr. Khamenei's visit, two powerful aftershocks caused the few remaining buildings to collapse and set off a wave of panic.

The remaining walls of the ancient fortress of Bam, the city's landmark site, crumbled.

According to IRNA, congestion in the cemeteries, cold, rain and aftershocks had complicated relief efforts.

With casualties mounting, bodies were brought in blankets, sprayed with disinfectant to guard against disease and buried in trenches.

The President, Mohammad Khatami, who also arrived in Bam on Monday told reporters that the depth of tragedy was so great that the relief aid provided by the Government and people was insufficient to meet the demands of the victims.

Germany has pulled out its experts involved in the search for survivors and many other teams were expected to do so by midnight on Monday.

With attention on the survivors increasing, Mr. Lari has urged that more steps were needed to prevent outbreak of diseases. "We have instructed various bodies to immediately start cleaning up. If we don't bring hygiene back to the city we will have major problems," Mr. Lari said.

Faced with an acute shortage of hospitals, the visiting area at Bam airport has been converted into an emergency ward.

A plane from Ukraine today transported a field hospital and other essential material. Despite the absence of diplomatic relations, the U.S. planes have landed in Kerman with relief supplies. South Africa and Pakistan have also sent in aircraft with essential items.

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