3000 DEAD IN EARTHQUAKE

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29189, 27 April 1960, Page 17

3000 DEAD IN EARTHQUAKE

Devastation Worse Than Agadir (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 9 p.m.) TEHERAN, April 26. Troops and Red Cross teams are digging day and night in the ruins of the southern Persian towns of Lar and Garash for survivors of Sunday’s tragic earthquake. Three thousand persons died, 3000 were injured and more than 17,000 are homeless, according to the latest unofficial estimates.

Lar is even more completely ruined than the Moroccan town of Agadir, where 12,000 persons died in an earthquake on February 28. Not a single wall stands, and the population is living out in the open in the fields in a village of tents air-dropped by rescue planes. Troops and Red Cross teams, working in a pall of dust, dug out SCO bodies yesterday, including those of 300 children. It is expected to be three weeks before all the bodies are found. Truckloads of tents, blankets, food and medical supplies are pouring in along all the roads leading to Lar, which had a population of 17,000.

Persian troops have moved to the disaster zone from all nearby garrisons and the Shah is expected to fly to the area soon. Poisonous snakes appeared on the scenes of horror last night. Many of the victims rescued were suffering from snake bite. An urgent appeal has been sent to Teheran for all available snake bite serum. “This is the worst scene of disaster and devastation I have ever seen,” a Red Cross official in Lar reported to Teheran.

“All the houses were razed. Mothers begged us to try to save

their children from under the ruins, still hoping they were alive “The poor peasants are trying desperately to dig their cattle and sheep out of the ruins—in many cases this livestock was the only possession they had left in the world.”

In Garash, where “only a few hundred survived,” about 4000 farm animals were killed. “There was a constant wailing and weeping in the open field around the town,” the eye witness continued. “The survivors are clustered round the airstrip, trying to get some supplies. I am afraid large numbers of the wounded, particularly women and children, will die unless we find a way of evacuating them faster.” He said the airstrip was very small and not enough supplies could be brought in or wounded taken out. Lar is a tobacco and cotton centre 550 miles south of Teheran. Garash is 12 miles further south. Lar is situated about 2400 ft up in mountainous country. Roads are bad and communications extremely difficult. Queen Farah of Persia has made herself responsible for all orphaned children, and ordered Government authorities to bring them to Teheran.