Massive Earthquake Kills At Least 20,000 in Iran

Washington Post ^ | December 27,2003 | Karl Vick

[StilettoRaksha]

TEHRAN, Dec. 27--A strong earthquake in southeastern Iran killed at least 20,000 people in and around the historic city of Bam early Friday, according to Iranian officials who appealed for international assistance in searching for survivors and recovering the dead.

The devastating 6.7-magnitude quake struck at 5:28 a.m. local time (8:58 p.m. Thursday EST), an hour at which almost all of the city's 80,000 residents were in bed on the Muslim day of rest. Officials who surveyed the ancient Silk Road oasis by air estimated that 60 percent of dwellings collapsed, killing thousands almost instantly and injuring as many as 30,000, according to Iranian state television. Four thousand of the injured were flown by helicopter to hospitals outside the affected area.

[StilettoRaksha]

If anyone would like to help the victims, you can go to http://www.mercycorps.org/

[billorites]

[First_Salute]

Bump.

[billorites]

Incredible, but true.

Over on DU they're speculating as to whether the US caused this quake.

When I heard the news about the earthquake in Iran, the number of people killed, and how Iran is a "rogue nation", it reminded me of something I heard a while back about how we were developing weapons that could cause earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Here's a link to a story on that - thought I'd throw it out there for the conspiracy theorists to chew on.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=960877

[yonif]

According to a statement by Iran's government, they will not accept aid from Jews.

[StilettoRaksha]

Yeah, I know, but that is no surprise.

[Kerberos]

"about how we were developing weapons that could cause earthquakes and volcanic eruptions."

Looks like they're on to us.

[ecomcon]

I guess we must do things like this just for fun. Just to be evil. Just to show em. Because we can.

Right when there is major progress on WMD inspections, a strengthening democratic social movement, and other points of light, punish them with an earthquake.

[BraveMan]

Incredible! Do you have a source for the statement?

[yonif]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1047238/posts

[Live free or die]

Not even funny by accident. I've just been looking at photos of people digging friends relatives and neighbors out of the rubble that was once their homes.

I saw a man carrying the bodies of two of his sons that couldn't have been more then 5 yrs old.

I saw a father wrapping his seven year old daughter in a burial shrowd.

This thing killed 20,000 people many of them women and children who care not for politics or religion. It merits more than a cheap gag.

[StilettoRaksha]

Thank you Live free or die.
Look at this photo. It is upsetting.
Iran Quake