Unreinforced Masonry Construction Caused High Death Toll in Iranian Quake 12/29/2003
Traditional materials used in most buildings destroyed by the late-night Dec. 26 Iranian earthquake contributed to the high death count, according to local observers. As international rescue teams prepared to leave the stricken city of Bam, close to Pakistan's border, some gave credence to reported estimates of over 20,000 fatalities.
The earthquake, rated at Richter 6.5 by the U.S. Geological Survey, was centered near Bam, some 185 km southeast of the provincial capital Kerman. Approximately 80% of buildings across several square kilometers of the town were destroyed The historic citadel was "particularly badly damaged", according to a spokesman with the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Switzerland.