Kamangir (Archer)

Earthquake In Lorestan

Kamangir | April 1, 2006 | Category Iran

You won’t be surprised to hear in the Iranian national television that an earthquake has happened last night. Basically, you can not blame Ahmadniejad for that; there are many faults in the planes in which Iranians have inhabited. However, there are other countries with numerous more serious earthquakes such as Japan which pass them with no catastrophes.

A few days ago an earthquake hit Lorestan Province. As a Lorestani tells BBC (listen), people of the area were quite familiar with the event and many of them had camping tents. Hence, when two milder quakes happened early last night, people slept in open spaces reducing the number of casualties. It seems that Iranians invent their own ways of survival when the government fails to help them.

As a custom for the celebration of the new Iranian year, we grow some grass (seen in this picture, too). Then, you are supposed to spend the thirteenth day of the year, which is called sizdah be dar (Persian سیزده بدر means “getting rid of the thirteen”) and is assumed to be cursed, outside and to throw the grass away before you return home. It seems that these people were not so lucky, because sizdeh be dar is tomorrow.

Lower casualty toll does not mean that the people are not having any serious problems. Actually, there were some inhabitants of the area who refused or were refused to spare their lives in the open, like sheep. Losing their herds, some Lorestanis would be in serious problem.

The life is going on, even if that only means searching for your pots in the ruins of your kitchen. Even the pigeons are back.