First of all ill start with saying i am very surprised and dissapointed that a major disaster as such has happened and theres not a single thread about it. Instead of posting stupid posts like what kind of potatoe you like and what kind of meat you like, these events are more important than all that. These are human lives here and not vegetables.
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20,000 dead in Iran earthquake
Agencies | December 27, 2003 11:15 IST
Rescuers battled near freezing temperatures to try and save anyone buried alive under the rubble of buildings in Bam, the historic town in southeast Iran devastated by an earthquake.
Most of the residents were sleeping when the quake struck early Friday, destroying the ancient Silk Road city and killing, according to government officials, more than 20,000.
Tens of thousands were reported injured in the town, about 975km southeast of capital Tehran.
Bam Governor Ali Shafiee told state television, “The city must be built from scratch.”
For many of the survivors it was a tough battle. In the absence of water, electricity and gas, they spent Friday night in the streets in temperatures below 0 degree Celsius.
CNN quoted the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs as saying that as much as 80 per cent of Bam was destroyed, including both of the town’s hospitals, forcing people to seek medical attention in the provincial capital, Kerman, about 160km northwest.
President Mohammad Khatami described the quake as a “national tragedy” and said it was too huge for Iran to cope with alone.
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link: http://in.rediff.com/news/2003/dec/27iran.htm
By: Flood - 30th December 2003 at 12:12
And which nation is going to tell them to give up the homes that they have lived in for hundreds of years and live in caravans and trailers instead?;)
Flood.
By: Phil Foster - 30th December 2003 at 11:51
I am sure they would love to live in better constructed houses made out of the best materials but as long as the last superpower still calls them part fo an Axis of Evil and has troops in four neighbouring countries then that isn’t really an option to go without a military.
Who said they should go without a military and who said he was talking about Iran? 😉
By: Arabella-Cox - 30th December 2003 at 10:04
“I wonder if those countries won’t have much better to do that buying weapons and going to war “
I am sure they would love to live in better constructed houses made out of the best materials but as long as the last superpower still calls them part fo an Axis of Evil and has troops in four neighbouring countries then that isn’t really an option to go without a military.
By: Phil Foster - 29th December 2003 at 14:07
I wonder if those countries won’t have much better to do that buying weapons and going to war
Thats a thought. I wonder if anybody in the Whitehouse is thinking exactly the same thing? I live in hope.
By: Hand87_5 - 29th December 2003 at 13:55
The irony is to think that the same magnitude killed 2 in California 2 weels earlier and maybe 50000 in Iran;
I wonder if those countries won’t have much better to do that buying weapons and going to war :confused:
By: Phil Foster - 29th December 2003 at 13:34
There are problems all over the world like this one… earthquakes in China, floods in Bangledesh… and China. Wasn’t there a flood in China where 4 million people died? it is like Stalin once said. 5 dead in a car accident is a tragedy… 5 million is a statistic. We just can’t really get our heads around such big numbers and it ceases to be real or human… just a number. ( I mention the 4 million dead in a Chinese flood because that is the whole population of NZ at the moment.)
Yup. And there are conflicting reports about the numbers too. They range from 18000 to 75000 dead in some reports. I just can’t get my head around the sheer loss of life. Like I said. I am speechless. 🙁
4 million dead in China?! Most countries lost less in 2 world wars! Like I said. I am speechless.
By: Arabella-Cox - 29th December 2003 at 12:42
“but when the big one hits California then the news progs will be loaded with imagery, not just the 2-3mins it is now. That was my point. “
Yes, terrorism wasn’t a problem till 11/9.
There are problems all over the world like this one… earthquakes in China, floods in Bangledesh… and China. Wasn’t there a flood in China where 4 million people died? it is like Stalin once said. 5 dead in a car accident is a tragedy… 5 million is a statistic. We just can’t really get our heads around such big numbers and it ceases to be real or human… just a number. ( I mention the 4 million dead in a Chinese flood because that is the whole population of NZ at the moment.)
By: Hand87_5 - 29th December 2003 at 12:35
An other tragedy as often in this part of the world.
RIP.
By: Phil Foster - 29th December 2003 at 12:04
Nermal I think we might be arguing the same point chap. 🙂
By: Nermal - 29th December 2003 at 11:28
Congrats on the expected kid – but when the big one hits California then the news progs will be loaded with imagery, not just the 2-3mins it is now. That was my point.
And I agree that we all have our own worrys and fears without having to start with asking what can I do about these people who are either dead or – for the most part – out of danger. The Iranian parliament probably will debate it – and if/when they try to outlaw earthquakes the worlds media will just laugh at them… – Nermal
By: Phil Foster - 29th December 2003 at 11:07
Well, after some hick wanted to ban forest fires (and that is what he said – not ban fires in forests, or people starting fires, but ban the actual fire mass!) after his house burnt down in one recently I begin to wonder. That was my point – it happens in America and they want a law passed. In the culture of the ‘Sue’ anything and everything is possible – apparently.
Fair enough but don’t you think that questions will be asked in the Iranian parliament as well? Also, who said the Iranian quake wasn’t all over the worlds media:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3352991.stm
http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,8279276%255E28217,00.html
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1017564.htm
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/12/29/iran.quake/index.html
These are just from Britain, Australia and the USA. They are not the only ones reporting this either. People do care and they are horrified but you tell me; what can I do? I mean really what can I do? I’ve got problems of my own, I’d love to go there and help but how much good would I do and in any case my wife is about to give birth so I don’t want to be too far away from her. How can you say that nobody really cares? I know thats not what you are saying in the same words but there is an implication of carelessness on the part of the rest of the world and that simply is not the case. The worst feeling you will find is “thank whoever you beleive in that it isn’t me or mine” and in the same situation Iranians would be thinking exactly the same thing.
By: Nermal - 29th December 2003 at 10:37
Well, after some hick wanted to ban forest fires (and that is what he said – not ban fires in forests, or people starting fires, but ban the actual fire mass!) after his house burnt down in one recently I begin to wonder. That was my point – it happens in America and they want a law passed. In the culture of the ‘Sue’ anything and everything is possible – apparently.
Californians won’t be bothered that this happened in Iran, they will just scream and shout when it hits them and then it will be all over the worlds media. – Nermal
By: Phil Foster - 29th December 2003 at 10:18
And they have all but stopped looking for survivors… It is a lot, but when the big one hits California – that is when they will start demanding that the authorities take action against earthquakes. – Nermal
What action can you take against an earth quake? What you gonna do put a restraining order on it? 😡 How can you assume that if the earthquake had happened in California, people in Iran would not react exactly the same way is if it was the other way around?
They would probably be thinking “thank God/gods or allah (depending on denomination) that it wasn’t them”.
😡 😡 😡 😡 😡
By: Nermal - 29th December 2003 at 09:50
And they have all but stopped looking for survivors… It is a lot, but when the big one hits California – that is when they will start demanding that the authorities take action against earthquakes.:rolleyes: – Nermal
By: steve rowell - 29th December 2003 at 08:41
Originally posted by Phil Foster
Speechless. How do you express your feelings about the deaths of 20,000 people? 🙁
They’re talking up to 50,000 now
By: Phil Foster - 29th December 2003 at 08:39
Speechless. How do you express your feelings about the deaths of 20,000 people? 🙁
By: steve rowell - 29th December 2003 at 04:38
Everybody is stunned by this human tragedy as you are Kabir, But i don’t think there is any need to get on your high horse about what other people choose to post, after all it’s called open discussion, and if you think someones thread is stupid or irrelevant then don’t open it!!!!!
By: monster500 - 28th December 2003 at 05:03
it appears that near 40000 people have been killed and 50000 injured, absolute tragedy!
if you can help then donate your old woolens or blankets to the RedCross in your area, money donations are also needed!
By: EAL_KING - 27th December 2003 at 23:29
R.I.P hope iran can get over it and help all those who were injured and help the familys of the bereived
By: EAL340 - 27th December 2003 at 19:48
🙁 r.i.p
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December 27, 2003 at 4:49 pm