UAE voices readiness to help Iran quake-stricken people

Tehran, Aug 12, IRNA – The United Arab Emirates Interior Minister Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan Saturday evening voiced his country's readiness to dispatch humanitarian supplies to quake-stricken people of East Azerbaijan province.

Al Nahyan made the announcement in a telephone conversation with Iran's ambassador to Abu Dhabi Mohammad-Reza Fayyaz, stressing that UAE is fully ready to send search-and-rescue teams equipped with helicopters, sniffer dogs and medical equipments to Iran's quake-hit areas.

Referring to the Islamic Republic of Iran as a brotherly country, he voiced UAE's full readiness to help Iran in the sad occasion.

Meanwhile, East Azerbaijan provincial Director General for Crisis Management said that death toll in Ahar and Varzagan cities has reached 250 and more than 1,500 have been injured.

Khalil Saei said three helicopters are on standby in Tabriz airport for transferring injured or necessary items.

Two strong earthquakes, measuring 6.2 and 6.0 on Richter scale, jolted cities of Ahar and Varzagan in East Azerbaijan province Saturday afternoon.

Since then the area has been hit by 55 aftershocks, the strongest of whcih was 4.8 Richter.

9060**1422 Islamic Republic News Agency/IRNA NewsCode: 1024969