Earthquake Kills At Least 231 in Iran

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06:23 AM EDT | Posted By Michele Catalano

Go here to visit Michele Catalano’s weblog. A powerful earthquake toppled mud-built homes and flattened villages in central Iran on Tuesday, killing at least 231 people and injuring more than 1,000, state-run television reported. A senior official said the death toll could top 350. TV footage showed residents frantically digging through piles of debris looking for loved ones following the 6.4-magnitude earthquake, which struck at 5:55 a.m., burying some as they slept. However, buildings made of cement didn’t sustain heavy damage.

Live broadcasts also showed victims in a local hospital wrapped in bloodied bandages or with broken legs and hands. Survivors pleaded for help finding the buried: “What a catastrophe. Please help us,” one said.

The quake’s epicenter was on the outskirts of Zarand, a town 35 miles northwest of Kerman, the capital of Kerman province, said the seismological unit of Tehran University’s Geophysics Institute .

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