Consequences and Aid to Earthquake Victims from the Perspective of a Reporter and an Expert

A number of volunteer rescuers from the western provinces of Iran have gone to the city of Azgaleh, the epicenter of the earthquake in Kermanshah province, located 33 kilometers from the city of Halabja in Iraq, to assist the earthquake victims. In an interview with Radio Farda, Mokhtar Khendani, a reporter from the Mokrian News Agency, who has gone to Azgaleh for information and assistance, shared his observations. Khendani, enduring temperatures below 6 degrees Celsius and intermittent mobile phone service, addressed issues such as shortages of water, food, tents, blankets, and air rescue efforts, noting that a significant portion of the victims in Sarpol-e Zahab resided in the "Masaken Nahr" apartments, which he claims have low safety standards. In another interview, Jalal Ijadi, an environmental expert and sociology professor at the University of Konam in Paris, estimated the casualties and damages from the earthquake in Iran to be significantly lower compared to the powerful earthquake in Haiti ten years ago, but also discussed the weaknesses in preventive programs, safety measures, and the slow pace of aid in Iran. The article also mentions the increasing number of casualties and injuries from the earthquake in western Iran, the dispatch of thousands of tons of goods and food to earthquake victims in Iraq, Turkey's offer of assistance to Iran, and the hospitals facing shortages of facilities.