Warning About Potential Earthquake Consequences in Tehran: 6 Million Dead and Injured

Two earthquakes above 3 Richter struck southern Tehran on Friday morning, March 15. According to reports, the first earthquake measured 3.3 on the Richter scale, occurring 13 kilometers from Javadabad, while the second earthquake measured 3.0 and also affected Javadabad in southern Tehran. This incident has raised alarms about the possibility of a high-casualty earthquake in Tehran. In this context, the website 'Didban Iran' quoted Fariborz Nateghi Elahi, a seismologist, stating that an earthquake in Tehran is an unavoidable reality, with the potential for a disaster resulting in 6 million dead or injured. This member of the faculty at the International Institute of Seismology noted that if an earthquake of 7.0 or greater occurs in Tehran, approximately 10 million people will be affected, and likely 6 million will be killed or injured. He emphasized that the earthquake in Tehran is not a possibility but an unavoidable reality that must be prepared for. He stressed, 'City officials must convey accurate and real information to the public, but unfortunately, they are more engaged in media displays than in practical actions.' Additionally, the head of the Crisis Management Organization warned on February 24 that the northern Tehran fault could generate an earthquake of 7.2 on the Richter scale. Concurrently, Mohammad Aghamiri, head of the Urban Development Committee of the Tehran City Council, stated that an earthquake of 'over 7 intensity' in the capital is 'inevitable.' This council member added, 'According to expert opinions, the return period for such earthquakes is about 150 years, and now 180 years have passed since the last earthquake, meaning Tehran is 30 years overdue.' According to Iranian government news agencies, Ali Nasiri, head of the Tehran Disaster Prevention and Management Organization, noted that they have conducted a nationwide earthquake drill in Tehran, stating, 'We have intensively practiced the program for one week after an earthquake occurs,' and that in the event of an earthquake, five neighboring provinces will 'assist us in case of problems,' with 'larger provinces' also 'coming to help in the next priority.' The head of the Tehran Disaster Prevention and Management Organization claimed that '109 crisis management bases' have been established and 'city safety has been prioritized,' with 'many buildings being reinforced and 1,100 new hospital beds being added to the city.' Previously, Jalal Bahrami, deputy mayor of Tehran, mentioned that a 13-hectare plot of land in southern Tehran has been prepared for 'burial of earthquake victims,' and a 300-hectare area has also been designated for this purpose around Tehran, with 'funding' allocated for its preparation. Earlier, Ali Beitollahi, a member of the Research Center of the Ministry of Roads of the Islamic Republic, warned that nearly 100 high-rise buildings in Tehran are 'exactly built on active faults,' and 16 hospitals and three fire stations are located on fault maps. Nineteen million Iranians live in unsafe homes. Tehran after an earthquake: in need of 6,600 field hospitals and 8,000 food supply centers. Four dead due to 'multiple collapses' in Tehran. Ground subsidence in 'Imamzadeh Ismail' and the surrounding streets. Warning about the consequences of a potential earthquake in Tehran; 100 towers and 16 hospitals are located on active faults.