Iranian Earthquake Death Toll Rises

26 February 2005 -- Officials say the death toll from an earthquake that struck southeast Iran this week has risen to 612, up from 602.

The announcement today came from Mohammad Ali Karimi, governor of the affected Kerman Province.

The 22 February quake was centered on the town of Zarand, about 700 kilometers southeast of Tehran.

The 6.4 magnitude earthquake leveled several remote mountain villages and left thousands homeless.

The quake occurred just 14 months after an earthquake in the city of Bam, in Kerman Province, killed more than 30,000 people.

(Reuters/AFP)