RNA – Ayatollah Mohsen Araki in his message voiced his deep sorrow over the devastating earthquake that hit western cities of Iran on Sunday night.
The president of the leading unity centre placed emphasis on the necessity of immediate measures to assist those affected by the earthquake, including a rapid mobilization of the relevant government organs to provide medical treatment for the injured.
“I express my heartfelt condolences to the noble people of Kermanshah and the bereaved families of the victims,” he said in part of the message.
The secretary-general of the World Forum for Proximity of the Islamic Schools of Thought urged officials to spare no effort in speeding up recovery efforts.
According to official tallies, 432 Iranians were confirmed dead as of Tuesday evening and over 8,700 others were also injured after the quake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale, whose epicentre was near Halabjah, southeast of Iraq’s Sulaymaniyah, left massive damages in the Iranian border province.
Kermanshah’s provincial officials also said that about 12,000 houses both in urban and rural regions across the province have been totally damaged due to the strong earthquake.
One of the cities hit hardly by the massive quake is Sarpol-e Zahab. Witnesses say they were appalled to see the city skyline on Monday, saying half of the buildings seem to have been destroyed.
Sarpol-e Zahab is receiving more rescue team and sniffer dogs searching for survivors buried under the rubble.
Iranian medical officials announced that 5 field hospitals have been set up in the quake-hit areas.
Meantime, five groups of injured people have been transferred to the Iranian capital, Tehran, by Monday evening to receive further treatments.