Tabas Earthquake: 25,000 Perish in Iran
The city of Tabas had roughly 25,000 residents. After the earthquake on September 16, 1978, it had fewer than 2,000. The 7.4-magnitude quake struck at 7:57 p.m. local time, when most families were inside after evening prayers. The mud-brick construction that characterized the old city offered no resistance. Over 85% of the population was killed in under a minute. Tabas was essentially erased. The disaster came two months before the Iranian Revolution toppled the Shah — and the government's slow response to the catastrophe became one more reason millions of Iranians stopped trusting it.
September 16, 1978
48 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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