Berlin Offers Earthquake Aid to Iran

Germany has offered Iran help to rescue survivors of the devastating earthquake who might be trapped in collapsed buildings, and to help repair damage. German Chanceller Gerhard Schröder and President Johannes Rau both pledged Germany's aid to the earthquake-ravaged country to Iranian President Mohammad Khatami on Friday. Iran's state television has reported that at least 4,000 people have died and over 30,000 have been injured in Friday morning's earthquake, which had an epicenter almost directly at the historical city of Bam, which has a population of 120,000. The quake, measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale, buried residents under debris, destroying some 75 percent of the city's buildings. The Iranian authorities have demanded immediate blood donations to save the lives of an influx of hospital patients.