Iran's Rouhani visits earthquake-hit areas, promises reconstruction

SARPOL-E ZAHAB. KAZINFORM Iran's president on Tuesday traveled to the western province of Kermanshah to visit some of the areas worst hit by the powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake, which left at least 430 dead and another 7,150 injured, EFE reports.

Hassan Rouhani visited Sarpol-e Zahab, the town that sustained the greatest damage, to express his condolences to victims' families and to oversee reconstruction efforts being implemented by Iran's Housing Foundation.

"I call on all governmental and military officials and all NGOs to help the Housing Foundation and do not do separate work, of course, they can plan and work for providing schooling services," Rouhani said in a statement, according to the president's official website.

"This was painful for all Iranians," Rouhani said. "Representing the nation of Iran, I offer my condolences to the people of Kermanshah, and tell them that all of us are beside Kermanshah," he added.

The statement said that Rouhani was encouraging people to rebuild their own damaged homes and that the government would provide them with loans in order to do so.

"The government will accelerate this process so that it can be done in the shortest time possible," Rouhani said, reassuring citizens.

Thousands of people have been displaced and have been moved to shelters after their homes were damaged in the earthquake, the deadliest to hit Iran since 2003 when 31,000 people died.