6.4 magnitude earthquake hits Iran

February 22, 2005 An earthquake with a hit Iran yesterday. The earthquake was centered around the southeastern town of Zarand, about 440 miles away from the capital, Tehran. Early reports indicate at least 40 villages with a combined population of 30,000 people have been damaged, with 420 deaths and slightly less than a thousand injured.

Earthquakes are nothing new to Iran, with killing 31,000 people in December 2003. Heavy rain and bad visibility have made early relief efforts difficult; despite this some 1,500 members of the Iranian Red Crescent have begun organising camps for the newly homeless.