An average 10,000 quakes occur annually in Iran, said the head of Iran Seismological Center affiliated to Tehran University’s Geophysics Institute.
Nourbakhsh Mirzaie, who was speaking in a ceremony on Tuesday to mark the anniversary of the 2003 Bam earthquake, said more researches on earthquake will help reduce the casualties, the Persian daily Hamshahri wrote. “Iran is one of the most seismically active countries in the world. It is crossed by several major fault lines that cover at least 90 percent of the country,” he said, noting that the Zagros region, particularly the area between the provinces of Kermanshah and Hamedan, is more prone to large-scale earthquake. Mirzaie said 18 seismograph networks are active across the country, all of which are well-equipped.These networks, which are built in accordance with international standards, help investigate the earthquake warning signs and identify the risky areas,” he said.
Admitting that the prediction of the precise time of earthquakes is not possible, Mirzaie said the areas at grave risk can be identified.
Mohammad Taqi Japloghi, the head of Tehran’s Crisis Management Department, said all assistance teams in Tehran are prepared for earthquake.
Talking to reporters at an earthquake drill in Tehran on Tuesday, Japloghi said regular drills will help increase public awareness on the issue and improve the disaster preparedness and crisis management plans.
“All related organizations take part in regular quake drills to enhance their capabilities in time of major earthquakes,” he said. Japloghi blamed the high death toll caused by earthquakes in Iran on irregular constructions and old residential textures. “Tehran has many old textures and many buildings have been constructed in quake-prone districts,” he said, adding that reaching the victims of disasters immediately after an earthquake is very vital, which is made difficult by old textures. Some districts of Tehran are densely populated with narrow passages, which can impede assistance.
The residents of Kerman province paid tribute to the victims of Bam earthquake on Tuesday by laying flowers on their graves. The 2003 Bam earthquake was a major temblor that struck Bam and the surrounding areas of Kerman province in southeastern Iran, killing 271 people and injuring an additional 30,000.