In Iran, more than 20,000 have been killed in a devastating earthquake in the ancient city of Bam. Tens of thousands more were wounded or left homeless. The death toll may rise as high as 40,000. One Iranian official said “There is not a standing building in the city. Bam has turned into a wasteland. Even if a few buildings are standing, you cannot trust to live in them.” Two hospitals collapsed in the earthquake. Injured survivors are being airlifted to hospitals hours away. In Kerman, one 600-bed hospital has 2,000 patients.

The government in Tehran is coming under criticism for being ill-prepared for a major earthquake or the recovery. One Iranian accountant told the Guardian of London “It’s just a disgrace that a rich country like ours with all the revenue from oil and other natural resources is not prepared to deal with an earthquake. I don’t know how many quakes we must have so the government make the buildings earthquake-proof in our country.”

In Tehran, one newspaper estimated over a million would die in the capital city if a similar earthquake hit there because so few buildings are earthquake-proof. An estimated 80 percent of the buildings in the capital are not earthquake proof. The US was among many 20 nations to contribute emergency aid. Agence France Press reported the delivery of U.S. aid marked the first time an American plane has landed in Iran since the Iranian hostage crisis ended in 1981.