Rescue operation and reconstruction of recent earthquakes in Iran

From February to May 1997, three devastating earthquakes occurred in rural areas of north and east of Iran. Considering the three consequent earthquakes in bad weather conditions and remoteness of the affected areas, the overall performance of the rescue and relief operations was excellent. In all these earthquakes 95 per cent of people were rescued within first 24 hours and by 48 hours all the affected people were settled in 70,000 tents as temporary shelters. Because of severe winter in north of Iran, reconstruction started one month after the earthquakes and 21,000 new dwellings (out of 29,000 planned) were built before the cold season started. The new seismically designed units are one storey with area of 40 to 60m2. The units were built by the owner with free interest loans, subsidized construction material and under government supervision. By July 1997, 1,500 units and by January 1998, 20,000 units were finished and people were moved in. The overall evaluation of the rescue operation to reconstruction process is satisfactory and the lessons learned during the Manjil earthquake were useful and played a key role in this success. This reconstruction method now so far proved to be successful in rural areas and can be used in future in order to save time, money and reduce social consequences. Gives a brief description of these earthquakes from seismological and structural point of view, evaluation of the rescue and relief operation and reconstruction programme.