Wikipedia:Today's featured article/August 27, 2011

The 2002 Bou'in-Zahra earthquake occurred on June 22, 2002, in a region of northwestern Iran which is crossed by several major fault lines. The earthquake's epicenter was near the settlement of Bou'in-Zahra in Qazvin Province, an area known for destructive earthquakes. Measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale and 6.3 on the moment magnitude scale, the earthquake killed at least 261 people and injured 1,500 more. Over 20 aftershocks followed the earthquake. According to the International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology (IIEES), the earthquake was felt as far away as the capital city of Tehran, approximately 290 km east of the epicenter, although no damage was reported there. Most houses in the region were single-story masonry buildings, and virtually all of these collapsed. The public became angry due to the slow official response to victims who needed supplies. (more...)

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