Bam, Dec 27: The devastating earthquake in southeast Iran killed or injured up to 70,000 people in the city of Bam, the Iranian Health Minister said here today. "We estimate now that 65 to 70 per cent of the population of the city of Bam have either been killed or injured," Dr Ahmad Pezeshkian told a news agency amid the rubble of Bam`s Imam Khomeini Hospital.
He estimated Bam`s population at 100,000 people, but did not venture to give a breakdown of the casualties from yesterday`s massive quake. "The problem is that we have not registered exactly who has been killed and who has been injured. What we have is a single casualty toll that is very, very high," said Pezeshkian. Bureau Report