Iran (MNN) — Villages were destroyed as two earthquakes hit a remote region of Iran Saturday. The 6.4 and 6.3 magnitude quakes hit in a northwestern province of East Azerbaijan near the Azerbaijan/Armenia borders, killing more than 300.
According to reports, the death toll is expected to rise as entire villages were reduced to rubble; many structures in this region were not earthquake code constructed. An Iranian news service says the mayor of Varzaqan, one of the hardest hit towns, reported that 12 villages in the region had been destroyed. Each of them had a population of about 1,000. About one-third of those people are believed to have perished. Survivors are being encouraged to sleep outside as aftershocks continue to hit the region.
There are many Christian organizations who are–or will be–working in the region. However, those plans either can't be revealed for security reasons, or they haven't been completely worked out.
Mission Network News is working to provide behind-the-scenes coverage of the tragedy with our ministry partners.
In the meantime, we encourage you to pray that God would minister to the hurting families in the region. Ask God to position Christians strategically to be able to share Jesus with the suffering. Also, pray that many would begin searching for truth during this time of uncertainty.
