At Least 80 Are Dead in Central Iran Earthquake

TEHRAN — A powerful earthquake shook central Iran today, destroying villages and killing at least 80 people, state-run television reported.

The epicenter of the 6.4-magnitude quake was near Zarand in Kerman province, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

Zarand is about 450 miles southeast of Tehran, the capital, and 150 miles northwest of the historic city of Bam, where a quake in December 2003 killed more than 20,000 people.

“The latest figures we have are 80 dead and 300 injured,” Interior Ministry spokesman Jahanbakhsh Khanjani said.

Kerman provincial Gov. Mohammed Ali Karimi was quoted by state television as saying that “several villages have been destroyed” by the quake.

But Khanjani said major settlements appeared to have escaped heavy damage, suggesting that the overall death toll would not be as high as in some temblors of similar strength in the earthquake-prone country.

Television reports said 25% to 30% of the property in five villages close to Zarand had been damaged.

Rescuers were en route to the scene.