Photos

Pulsar, A K9, Trained Search Dog. This photo is taken during Search and Rescue Operation just after Iran Bam Earthquake in late 2003.

The quake occurred at 1:56 AM UTC (5:26 AM Iran Standard Time) and had its epicenter near the ancient city of Bam.[2] At least 30,000 people were killed and 30,000 injured.[1] BBC reported that a large number of victims were crushed while sleeping.[2] Eighty-five percent of buildings and infrastructure in the Bam area were either damaged or destroyed,[1] with 75% of houses being completely destroyed.[2] Maximum intensities were at Bam and Baravat.[1]

As a result of the quake, two hospitals in Bam collapsed, leaving the remaining hospitals filled.[2] Emergency centers were set up to care for the injured, though many centers did not have enough room to care for patients.[2]

In this earthquake, Bam Citadel — "the biggest adobe structure of the world" — and most of the city of Bam proper were devastated.[5] The BBC reported that "70% of the modern city of Bam" was destroyed. Death toll numbers as high as 80,000 were rumoured on the street and 70,000 reported in the media. However, the total death toll was given as 56,230 on January 17 and the latest estimate from Tehran has halved previous estimates to 26,271 deaths. An additional 10,000 – 50,000 were reported injured, however this number is very uncertain; the most reported number is 30,000, which may have originated from an early Reuters account. According to the Iranian news agency IRNA, the old Bam Citadel was "levelled to the ground".