Reporting by PMOI/MEK
Iran, November 11, 2019—The number of Iranians who lost their lives following a recent magnitude 5.9 earthquake that struck Iran’s northwest provinces in the early morning hours of Friday, November 8, has now reached eight deaths.
The cold winter weather of the earthquake-hit areas have left Iranians who lost their homes facing very difficult circumstances. In the town of Varankesh, temperatures reach around minus two degrees Celsius. The town of Varzghan has witnessed temperatures drop to minus six degrees Celsius. More than 3,000 locals of the earthquake-hit villages, towns and cities are currently living in tents and are in dire need of trailers.
More than 121,000 people, especially in the provinces of East Azerbaijan and Ardabil, have been severely hit by the earthquake and are desperately attempting to cope with their harsh conditions. More than 1,500 residential units have suffered between 10 to 100 percent damages. At least 55 homes have been completely destroyed in the villages of Sarab and Miane. Most of the destroyed homes were made of mud bricks and the residents are unfortunately all very, very poor.
November 8, 2019
2:17 am local timeMagnitude 5.9 earthquake shakes northwest #Iran, especially East Azerbaijan Province, leaving at least six dead and around 350 injured. pic.twitter.com/Nd7zIutWBc
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) November 8, 2019
Iranians in these areas are also very concerned about continuous aftershocks. 210 such tremors and aftershocks were reported on Friday in the provinces of East Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan, Ardabil, Gilan, Zanjan and Qazvin.
Iranian opposition President Maryam Rajavi, head of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), issued a message expressing her sympathy and condolences to the grieving Iranians in these earthquake hit areas.
“My deep condolences to the survivors of the earthquake in Azerbaijan, Zanjan, Gilan and Ardabil, and wishing for quick recovery of those injured. I urge the nation to rush to the aid of the victims of the earthquake,” Mrs. Rajavi said. “By plundering Iran’s wealth or squandering it in warmongering and anti-patriotic nuclear and missile projects, the mullahs have left the people of Iran defenseless in the face of natural disasters.”
My deep condolences to the survivors of the earthquake in Azerbaijan, Zanjan, Gilan and Ardabil, and wishing for quick recovery of those injured. I urge the nation to rush to the aid of the victims of the earthquake. #Iran pic.twitter.com/pM7HxjrLUS
— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) November 8, 2019
A magnitude 7 earthquake striking Kermanshah and other parts of western Iran in 2017 killed more than 600 people and injured more than 9,000. According to reports and videos published in social media networks, the financial damage caused by the earthquake was considerable.
After two years, many of the people of the region are still living in makeshift homes, which means there’s no or very little sign of relief efforts and government projects to restore housing, health and livelihood conditions to their previous state.
Farhad Tajari, a member of the Iranian regime’s parliament, acknowledged last year that the people of Gilan-e Gharb in Kermanshah Province continued to be deprived of proper shelter. “They will have to sleep in tents and cars in very harsh conditions,” the MP said. Tajari also warned that with earthquakes regularly happening in the area and the government not taking proper measures, there was a real threat that the people will start deserting the region and migrating to other locations where they feel safer. Locals in northwest Iran may also be facing such a destiny these days.
Considering the track record of Hassan Rouhani’s government, there’s no serious prospect of help coming to the victims of the recent earthquake.
