IRAN QUAKE TOLL 20,000

TEHERAN, Sept. 2 The unofficial death toll in Iran’s disaster earthquake rose to over 20,000 today as fresh tremors hit the stricken area in the remote northeast of the country.

The figures told a grim tale.

At Kakhk, epicentre of the first main quake which struck two days ago (Iranian Red Cross) reported over 4,500 dead.

Total official death toll this morning: 8,222. vUnofficial count by a team of Press reporters who toured the devastated area: Over 14,000 dead.

The fresh tremors struck the hard-hit town of Gonobad and the surrounding area last night, bring down the last remaining walls, but causing no further casualties.

Rescue teams including troops and police were still trying to reach other inaccessible and stricken communities and their reports would push the death tolls even higher. More than 1,00,000 people were reported homeless and living in the open in the rugged, mountainous area. Today fresh supplies of emergency aid poured into earthquake-devastated northeast Iran.

At least 100 towns and villages have been reduced to rubble, roads cut and vital irrigation canals block in the violent upheavals — the second shock yesterday came exactly six years after a tremor that killed 12,000 people in northwest Iran.

The ruined region covers about 750 sq. miles and eye-witnesses said the badly hit districts were remote villages.