Fears heighten for kidnapped Irish tourist

FEARS have heightened for the safety of kidnapped Irish tourist Aidan Leahy who went missing in the region of Iran devastated by yesterday’s earthquake.

Nothing has been heard directly from him or his two German travelling companions since they were seized by suspected drug smugglers near Nostrat Abad on the road between Zahedan and Bam, the epicentre of the quake, on December 8.

The man’s anxious family are praying the disaster may be a blessing in disguise for him. If he has survived the earthquake unscathed, the influx of rescue workers, relief teams and government officials into the region could flush out his captors. But officials working for his release are also worried that the tenuous communications links that existed with the kidnap gang may be lost in the confusion and destruction of roads, power lines and cables.