"Disaster" Knocks at the Doors in Tehran... A Danger Threatening Homes

According to the "Hamshahri" newspaper on Wednesday, 6 out of 10 buildings in Tehran do not meet earthquake resistance standards and may suffer severe damage in the event of a strong tremor. The newspaper quoted Reza Karami Mohammadi, head of the Risk Prevention and Management Organization at the municipality, stating that "60 percent of buildings do not comply with earthquake resistance standards and will sustain serious damage, and 20 percent will be completely destroyed in the event of a 6.5 magnitude earthquake on the Richter scale." Karami Mohammadi made these comments during a city council meeting where he urged the renovation of the oldest urban areas in the capital, Tehran, "as soon as possible" to mitigate damage in the event of an earthquake. Iran faces risks due to several tectonic plates running through it, making it a region of strong seismic activity. The population of the Tehran area exceeds 9 million. In May 2020, a moderately strong earthquake measuring 4.6, centered 55 kilometers from the capital, resulted in one death and more than 20 injuries.