Pope: Solidarity with the Philippines, China, Iran
(Vatican Radio) On Sunday Pope Benedict XVI asked Christians world-wide to pray and
show solidarity to the people of three Asian nations devastated by recent natural
disasters. In an appeal launched after the midday Marian prayer. Emer McCarthy reports
Listen:
“Dear
brothers and sisters,My thoughts go at this time to the people of Asia, especially
to the Philippines, the People’s Republic of China, hardest hit by violent rains,
as well as those of the North-west Iran, hit by a violent earthquake. These events
have caused numerous deaths and injuries, thousands of displaced people and extensive
damage. I invite you to join me in prayer for those who have lost their lives and
for all the people tried by such devastating calamities. May our solidarity and our
support not be lacking to these our brothers and sisters.”.
The death toll
from torrential rains that submerged most of the Philippines capital Manila has risen
to 85. Nearly two weeks of monsoon rains across the Philippines' main island of Luzon
peaked with a 48-hour deluge earlier this week that battered Manila and surrounding
regions.
Meanwhile a powerful typhoon also blasted China this week, with 120
km an hour winds that battered Shanghai. Dozens of people were killed and nearly two
million people were evacuated.
However, the largest death toll comes from
Iran where twin earthquakes levelled entire villages in the north of the country.
The official death toll from the Saturday night quakes is 250 people dead and over
2,000, injured. However according to Iranian state television the number is destined
to rise.
Over a thousand rescuers worked through the night to free people
trapped under rubble and to reach some of the more remote villages affected.
By
early afternoon on Sunday, state television was reporting that search operations had
ceased. Hundreds of tents have been set up to house the homeless.
The U.S.
Geological Survey reported that Saturday's first quake at 4:53 p.m. (1223 GMT) had
a magnitude of 6.4 and struck 60 kilometers northeast of the city of Tabriz at a depth
of 9.9 kilometers. The second quake with a magnitude of 6.3 struck 11 minutes later,
the U.S.G.S. reported. Its epicenter was 48 kilometers northeast of Tabriz at a depth
of 9.8 kilometers.
The quakes hit the towns of Ahar, Haris and Varzaqan in
East Azerbaijan province. At least six villages were totally leveled, and 133 others
sustained damage ranging from 50 to 80 percent.
Some 36 aftershocks jolted
the same area and were felt in a wide region near the Caspian Sea, causing panic among
the population.
Iran is located on seismic fault lines and is prone to earthquakes.
It experiences at least one earthquake every day on average, although the vast majority
are so small they go unnoticed.
In 2003, some 26,000 people were killed by
a magnitude 6.6 quake that flattened the historic southeastern city of Bam.