Lethal earthquakes rock western Iran, 70 or more die
{{date|March 31, 2006}}
At least 70 people are dead and hundreds more injured after three earthquakes and several aftershocks rocked western [[w:Iran|Iran]] between [[w:Dorood|Doroud]] and [[w:Borujerd|Boroujerd]] in the [[w:Lorestan Province|Lorestan]] province at 11:06 p.m. local time (1936 GMT) on Thursday. Some estimates of those injured currently range between 700-1,200 people.

The first earthquake measured a 4.7 on the [[w:Richter_magnitude_scale|Richter magnitude scale]] and was in a mountainous area and the second measured a 5.1. The third quake measured a 6.0 and hit Doroud and the villages surrounding the area at 4:47 a.m. local time (0117 GMT) on Friday.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, however, a 5.7 magnitude quake occurred at 0117 [[w:Coordinated_Universal_Time|UTC]] followed by an earthquake of 4.7 magnitude fifteen minutes later. They also report that the previous day, a quake measuring 4.7 in magnitude occurred in the same area.

Power has been cut to some areas and there are reports of at least 330 villages that have been severely damaged. Some reports say that at least 20 villages have been destroyed. Thousands have been left homeless as a result.

In December of 2003, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake killed over 31,000 people and in February of 2005 a 6.4 eathquake killed 600 people near Zarand in the [[w:Kerman_Province|Kerman]] province.

==Sources==
*{{source|url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060401/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iran_quake
|title=Three Earthquakes Level Iranian Villages
|author=Ali Akbar Dareini
|pub=Associated Press
|date=April 1, 2006}}

*{{source|url=http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/NBLA132072.htm
|title=Earthquake hits west Iran, killing 70
|author=Alireza Ronaghi
|pub=Reuters AlertNet
|date=March 31, 2006}}

*{{source|url=http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=aBX1A7ImpWbI&refer=top_world_news
|title=Iran Hit by Magnitude 6.1 Quake; 70 Dead in Villages (Update3)
|author=
|pub=Bloomberg
|date=March 31, 2006}}

*{{source|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1021227
|title=Major earthquakes in Iran
|author=
|pub=Daily News & Analysis
|date=March 31, 2006}}

*{{source|url=http://en.apa.az/news.php?id=7818
|title= Earthquake kills dozens in Iran
|author=
|pub=Azeri Press Agency
|date=March 31, 2006}}

*{{source|url=http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1143498774031&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull
|title=Iran: Earthquakes kill 50, injure 800
|author=
|pub=Jerusalem Post
|date=March 31, 2006}}

*{{source|url=http://www.makfax.com.mk/look/agencija/article.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=1&NrArticle=19393&NrIssue=424&NrSection=30
|title=At least 38 dead, 700 injured in Iran earthquake
|author=
|pub=Makfax
|date=March 31, 2006}}

*{{source|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/0331/iran.html
|title=At least 38 killed in earthquake in Iran
|author=
|pub=RTE News
|date=March 31, 2006}}

*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4863372.stm
|title=Dozens die in western Iran quakes
|author=
|pub=BBC News
|date=March 31, 2006}}

*{{source|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2006/03/31/iranquake.html
|title=Deady quake rocks western Iran
|author=
|pub=CBC News
|date=March 31, 2006}}

==External Links==
*{{source|url=http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/quakes_all.php
|title=Latest Earthquakes in the World - Last 7 days
|author=
|pub=U.S. Geological Survey
|date=Accessed March 31, 2006}}

[[category:Earthquakes]]
[[category:World]]
[[category:Middle East]]
[[category:Iran]]
[[Category:Disasters and accidents]]
{{publish}}
{{Archive-unreviewed}}
[[de:Starkes Erdbeben erschüttert Iran – mehr als 50 Tote]]
[[es:Una serie de temblores sacude el oeste de Irán]]
At least 70 people are dead and hundreds more injured after three earthquakes and several aftershocks rocked western Iran between Doroud and Boroujerd in the Lorestan province at 11:06 p.m. local time (1936 GMT) on Thursday. Some estimates of those injured currently range between 700-1,200 people.

The first earthquake measured a 4.7 on the Richter magnitude scale and was in a mountainous area and the second measured a 5.1. The third quake measured a 6.0 and hit Doroud and the villages surrounding the area at 4:47 a.m. local time (0117 GMT) on Friday.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, however, a 5.7 magnitude quake occurred at 0117 UTC followed by an earthquake of 4.7 magnitude fifteen minutes later. They also report that the previous day, a quake measuring 4.7 in magnitude occurred in the same area.

Power has been cut to some areas and there are reports of at least 330 villages that have been severely damaged. Some reports say that at least 20 villages have been destroyed. Thousands have been left homeless as a result.

In December of 2003, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake killed over 31,000 people and in February of 2005 a 6.4 eathquake killed 600 people near Zarand in the Kerman province.

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category:Earthquakes
category:World
category:Middle East
category:Iran
Disasters and accidents