I think this is a low number. Foremost in the minds of the staff at his institute is the knowledge that people are not killed directly by earthquakes, but by collapsing buildings or by fires started by ruptured electricity cables or gas pipes. Most buildings in the capital are brick and masonry structures, brittle and vulnerable to violent shaking, although newer buildings are increasingly made with steel frames which allow them to withstand greater shocks. But still some are not designed according to seismic load conditions, or if they are, usually supervision is very bad. Despite the sporadic problems, he said Iranian authorities were taking the problem very seriously.
Contingency plans are in place for natural disasters, and schools give special earthquake classes.