TEHRAN (Dispatches) – Rescue and relief operations continued in Kermanshah Sunday, seven days after a deadly earthquake struck the western Iranian province.
Volunteer medical and rescue teams raced to treat the injured and help retrieve bodies and save those possibly trapped under toppled buildings after a devastating earthquake struck the border region near Iraq.
Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani traveled to the province to inspect the damage and recovery efforts.
The earthquake has led to an outpouring of solidarity from Iranians across the country and millions more in the diaspora. Ali Daei, a legend in football and former national team coach, has started a campaign to gather food and supplies.
The Iranian Army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) are working hand in hand in the province. Army chief General Abdolrahim Mousavi and IRGC chief Major General Muhammad Ali Jafari are visiting the earthquake-affected areas for a second time to oversee relief and rescue operations.
IRGC deputy for coordination Ali Akbar Pour Jamshidian said on Sunday that portable bathrooms would be set up soon in the quake-stricken areas.
The IRGC has also stationed seven portable field hospitals in Kermanshah to help those injured. They include tents, operating rooms, outpatient wards, gynecology wards, pharmacy, radiology labs, and even dental facilities.
As many as 436 people were killed after a 7.3-magnitude earthquake hit the province. Reports coming out of the area say that aftershocks continue to rattle the province.