Dahuiyeh Zarand Earthquake of 22 February 2005, Ms 6.5

The Dahuiyeh earthquake 22/02/2005, has shocked a seismically active area in SW of Iran in Kerman Province. The region is known by the previous earthquakes occurred in this region; specially the earthquake of 19 December 1977, Mw5.9 (Gisk-Bantangal, North of Zarand) which caused more than 500 life losses and was originated from the reactivation of the Kuhbanan fault (a right-lateral strike slip fault with a length of about 100km). The recent earthquake caused a life loss of more than 600 persons and more than 2000 injured people. Two villages of Dahuiyeh and Hutkan were demolished totally, where the most of the life losses were observed. The damages in the village of Hutkan were corresponded to the location of the village houses in a slop of about 45 degree. On the other hand, the damages were amplified in the epicentral region due to a heavy rain and snow fall, which caused heavier roofs, and more suitable conditions for collapse. The maximum intensity of XIII-IX (EMS98) could be assigned to the macroseismic region. The damages due to this earthquake are mostly observed in Dahuiyeh and Hutkan. Most of the life losses are related to Hutkan, where the rural houses were settled in about 45 degree slope. The some of the brick houses, however, seems to survive because of their more resistant and according to their location in the flat part of the village. The macroseismic epicenter was located in a region around Dahuiyeh and the region between Dahuiyeh and Hutkan.

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