About 28 000 corpses have been pulled out of the rubble and buried after the devastating earthquake in and around Bam, in southeastern Iran, state radio reported on Tuesday quoting local government officials.
The previous toll, given by officials in Kerman province, stood at 25 000 recovered bodies following Friday’s quake, which measured 6,7 on the Richter scale.
A local governorate official has estimated that the final toll will top 30 000.
Only 2 000 people have been pulled out alive from the rubble and the main rescue effort has given way to a body recovery and clean-up operation.
President Mohammad Khatami has promised to reconstruct the quake-hit historic city of Bam in southeastern Iran in two years, state radio reported on Tuesday.
”The town of Bam must reappear on the map of Iran,” Khatami said during a meeting with members of his government, local officials in the quake-hit area and troops at Bam airport.
”The town will be reconstructed in two years,” he added.
”Nonetheless we must talk of the living, and try to reconstruct the affected areas,” Khatami said. — Sapa-AFP