TEHRAN (Dispatches) – Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Major General Hussein Salami on Saturday outlined relief operations in East Azarbaijan following a strong earthquake which killed five people last week, saying his forces will remain in the affected region to help people as long as necessary.
Speaking in the northwestern city of Mianeh, Salami IRGC forces were dispatched to the area and began rescue operations immediately after the quake hit.
The top commander said the IRGC has deployed 20 heavy vehicles to remove debris.
"Given the experiences we have gained from the past events and disasters in the country, the dear people of this region should be confident that the IRGC will side with the quake-stricken people until the end of the work,” General Salami said.
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake shook northwestern Iran on November 8, killing at least five and wounding 518 others. The strong earthquake hit an area near the city of Tark, around 120km from the provincial capital Tabriz.
Iran is crisscrossed by several major fault lines that cover at least 90 percent of the country.
In November 2017, the western province of Kermanshah was hit by a major 7.3-magnitude quake that killed 620 people.