DUSHANBE, August 13, 2012, Asia-Plus — On Monday August 13, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon extended condolences to his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad over devastating twin earthquake that hit the north-west of Iran on Saturday, the Tajik president’s official website reports.
Tajik leader asked President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to convey his deepest condolences to the families and relatives of those, who died in Saturday’s twin quakes.
International media sources report that more than 300 people died and a further 2,000 were injured when two earthquakes struck towns and villages around the north-western city of Tabriz in the evening of August 11.
The first, 6.4-magnitude quake struck at 17:23 local time on Saturday north-east of the city of Tabriz, said the US Geological Survey, with the second 6.3 tremor striking in the same area only 11 minutes later.
Iran”s Red Crescent has taken over a sports stadium and provided 6,000 tents to some 16,000 people left homeless, the BBC reported on August 13. Relief agencies are providing survivors with tents, bread and drinking water. Authorities reportedly say the search-and-rescue operations have ended because most residents are accounted for. But reports suggest some are still missing and others badly need aid.
