Earthquake disaster - We should spearhead call for aid

As many as 20,000 people are feared dead as a result of yesterday’s earthquake in of south-eastern Iran. The country suffers frequent earthquakes and people tend to adopt a somewhat fatalistic approach, making little effort to ensure that their buildings are as earthquake-resistant as possible. Instead, they look on what happens as “the will of Allah”.

In 1990, some 35,000 people were killed in Iran in another earthquake in the Caspian region.

As many of 70% of the houses were reportedly destroyed yesterday in Bam, which is a city with many buildings of great historical appeal.