On Aug 11, a devastating 6.4 Richter scale earthquake struck Northwest Iran. As of Aug 17 there are more than 250 dead and more than 2000 injured. The damaged area included more than 100 villages across Iran, most of which have been destroyed and whose residents are now living in shelters.

Iran is located on a seismic fault line and is prone to frequent earthquakes. The most devastating came in 2003 where over 31,000 people were killed by an even larger, 6.6 Richter scale earthquake. With many people fearing a similar situation, the people have fled their homes and created a large panic. However, most of the villages have small populations and thus the citizens knew where to look for the lost.

Relief effort came quickly and the survivors have been given basic needs as others try to find those still missing. Sixty-six rescue teams have been sent to the region along with 200 ambulances and several helicopters. However, it has been pointed out that there are still many distant villages that were hit that could suffer worse consequences if help doesn’t arrive soon.