On August 11, 2012, at 4:53 pm local time, a magnitude 6.4
earthquake struck 60km (37 mi) north of the city of Tabriz in
northwestern Iran. Eleven minutes later, a magnitude 6.3
aftershock hit near the original epicenter. More than 300 people
died, 5,000 were injured, and 36,000 were made homeless. A
magnitude 6.4 quake normally produces local property damage,
some injuries, but very few fatalities. So why was a quake of
this moderate magnitude so devastating? The people who live in
the villages of rural Iran build their houses today in the same
way they have done for hundreds of years. The main building
material is clay brick mixed with straw. A heavy roofs rests
directly on the mud brick walls, not supported by beams or
framing. When the region suffers a quake of even moderate
strength, the shaking causes the roof to collapse and bring the
walls down, killing, injuring, or trapping everyone inside. The
city of Tabriz, where some modern building practices are
followed, had some damage and 45 fatalities. It w