BBC NEWS | In Pictures | In pictures: Iranian earthquake

BBC NEWS / IN PICTURES
Graphics Version BBC Sport Home

14:12 GMT, Friday, 31 March 2006 15:12 UK

In pictures: Iranian earthquake

Scenes of devastation after the Iranian earthquake

1 of 8
At least 66 people have died and nearly a thousand have been injured in a series of deadly earthquakes in western Iran which devastated more than 300 villages in the region.

A man searches among the rubble

2 of 8
Villagers caught up in the disaster tried to salvage as many possessions as possible from the mounds of rubble left by the quake, which experts said had a magnitude of up to 6.0.

Women wail amid the devastation

3 of 8
The earthquakes left many families mourning the death or injury of loved ones.

Survivors sit in shock after Iranian earthquake

4 of 8
Some survivors sat in shock as they took in the scale of the devastation.

Two young girls sit on a rug surrounded by rubble

5 of 8
Two bewildered toddlers sat on the sidelines in the village of Khaleq Ali as their parents scrabbled through the rubble.

A cow killed in one of the earthquakes

6 of 8
Officials said telephone and electricity lines were down and gas supplies cut in some areas. Animals were also killed in the series of deadly quakes.

Men weep at the devastation

7 of 8
Villagers wept openly at the scale of their loss. Experts described the quake as moderate and did not expect the casualty figures to rise significantly.

Women gather amid the devastation

8 of 8
The first tremors, with magnitudes of 4.7 and 5.1 hit at 0105 on Friday (2135 GMT on Thursday), causing many to abandon their homes and set up tents away from built-up areas.

E-mail this to a friend

Related to this story:
How earthquakes happen (01 Jun 09 | Science & Environment )
Deadly history of earthquakes (27 Nov 05 | Special Reports )
Quake experts urge Tehran move (14 Mar 05 | Middle East )
Southern Iran hit by strong quake (28 Feb 06 | Middle East )
Ten dead in southern Iran quake (28 Nov 05 | Middle East )
Country profile: Iran (21 Jan 06 | Country profiles )
Timeline: Iran (04 Feb 06 | Country profiles )

RELATED INTERNET LINKS
BBC Persian
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites