2% Preparedness of Relevant Agencies in Tehran for Earthquake Response

Abdolreza Hashemzadeh, a member of the Tehran Provincial Assembly, emphasized on Tuesday, October 24, that there are three high-risk faults in Tehran and that the preparedness of the relevant agencies in Iran 'only meets 2% of the needs arising from an earthquake.' The Tehran representative criticized that 'the preparedness of the agencies is not proportional to the damages caused by a potential earthquake in Tehran,' stating: 'A 6-magnitude earthquake in the capital would cause significant damage, and in reality, the preparedness of the agencies only meets 2% of the needs arising from the earthquake.' He criticized the construction of 20-story towers in 6-meter-wide alleys in areas of Tehran, especially in districts 1, 2, and 3, saying: 'The occurrence of disasters is inevitable, and experts have been warning for years about a catastrophic earthquake in Tehran, but unfortunately, we still witness the construction of tall buildings in narrow alleys, which will pose significant challenges for rescue and service delivery during a crisis, endangering the lives of many residents.' Mr. Hashemzadeh also noted that 'the necessary sensitivity has emerged in the municipality and city council to prevent the construction of non-standard buildings.' He further criticized that 'the people of Tehran have not received the necessary training to face a potential earthquake,' stating: 'Crisis management in the country is weak and this knowledge needs to be improved.' One day before these statements, Mahmoud Hosseini, a faculty member of the International Institute of Seismology, stated in an interview with the analytical news site 'Asr Iran' that the Pardisan fault, which was not recognized with old tools, has now been identified with new tools, proving that the Milad Tower in Tehran is located directly on this new Pardisan fault. The northern fault of Tehran in the Tajrish area, the northern and southern faults of Shahr-e Rey, and the Khahrizak fault in southern Tehran are considered the most important and main faults in the Tehran area; however, experts have noted that the role of urban faults has been less considered in assessing the risks of potential earthquakes. Mahmoud Hosseini added in his interview on Tuesday: 'The concerning faults are the northern fault of Tehran and the southern fault of Rey. The other faults in Tehran are not as long.' Regarding Tehran, experts have also warned about the population living in dilapidated areas, as they state that a 6-magnitude earthquake could destroy residential buildings in Tehran's dilapidated areas. About 1.5 million people in Tehran live in these dilapidated areas. Previously, Amir Mohsen Ziaei, the head of the Tehran Red Crescent Society, described the city as being on a 'time bomb' and emphasized that the people of this city 'must know that an earthquake will eventually occur in Tehran.' Recently, it was announced that scientists associated with NASA and a research group from Turkey have opened an earthquake prediction center in Istanbul that can predict an earthquake two to three months before it occurs. Reports did not specify the monitoring range of this facility and whether areas of Iran would be under its surveillance. In this context, an earthquake in Sharbiyan, East Azerbaijan, left at least 10 injured, the opening of the NASA center in Istanbul for 'predicting' earthquakes, and a 5.7-magnitude earthquake shook areas of northeastern Iran. Aftershocks continue in Saheh Sang; 'heavy night traffic' in Mashhad.