Earthquake Damage Estimated at Least 78 Billion Tomans in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad

As damage from the earthquake in Boyer-Ahmad and Dena was announced at 78 billion tomans, Hassan Rouhani, Iran’s president, ordered all ministries to mobilize to help earthquake victims.

Mahmoud Vaezí, the chief of staff of Hassan Rouhani, conveyed the president’s order to accelerate relief operations to earthquake victims in a phone call with the governor of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad. At 8:38 a.m. on Wednesday, a 5.2 magnitude earthquake shook the city of “Sisakht” in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad and surrounding cities including Yasuj, leaving at least 133 injured.

Since then, two other earthquakes of lesser magnitude have shaken these areas, though no reports have yet been published on their financial and human damages.

Rouhani called for mobilizing all of the country’s resources to help these earthquake victims, while problems for residents of the region remain unresolved months after the 7.3 magnitude earthquake on November 12, 2017 in Kermanshah province, which killed over 600 people and destroyed the homes of tens of thousands.

Another report indicates that the civil affairs deputy governor of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad has announced that the estimated damage from the earthquake in Boyer-Ahmad and Dena counties is 78 billion tomans so far.

However, Aziz Fili added that a precise assessment of damages requires “more expertise and time.”

According to him, “50 billion tomans in damage was caused to urban and rural residential units and 28 billion tomans in damage to facilities and infrastructure.”

The total damage assessment for the province is scheduled to be reported to the national crisis management headquarters by the end of Saturday.

Mehr News Agency also reported that the 5.2 magnitude earthquake in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad caused “significant damage” to the water supply network and lines in the county.

A mountain collapse due to the earthquake destroyed water transmission lines in areas of Boyer-Ahmad county.

The CEO of the urban water and wastewater company of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province reported the shutdown of a series of wells in the Tangkanareh area of Yasuj that became muddy, and added that there is currently no problem in this regard in Yasuj county.

Ali Ladanizadeh meanwhile pointed to “displacement” of water transmission lines in six points in the province due to damage from falling rocks and boulders, five of which have been restored to operation.

Fathollah Pasre, CEO of the Abfar water company of the province, also reported the destruction of water transmission lines to several villages in Boyer-Ahmad county and said mobile water supply to these areas has begun.

As Pasre stated, two water reservoirs in the province have been completely destroyed.

According to Iranian media reports, Friday also saw all government offices, schools and universities in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad closed, with all service institutions of the province’s crisis management headquarters on high alert.

Iran is located on multiple earthquake faults and experiences several earthquakes in different parts of the country every year.

Bahram Akashe, who is referred to as the father of Iranian seismology, said in an interview with Arman newspaper last year: “We are sitting on all types of these faults. In these circumstances, we must prepare ourselves to face various issues.”

Source: Radio Farda