Iran quakes show danger in laxity in enforcing building codes

"In other countries, such an earthquake leaves six people injured and not hundreds injured and dead," Iranian geophysicist and seismologist Bahram Akashesh said after two earthquakes measuring 6.2 and 6 on the Richter scale hit Iran Saturday. If construction materials are properly utilised, edifices must resist quakes much stronger than these two.

Bernama reports that the cabinet issued a decree calling for precautionary measures against quakes to be taken beforehand, and blamed successive governments for the large loss of life, noting that even municipalities and Iran's Construction Engineering Organisation are not fully enforcing the building codes for the construction of houses in cities.