UN chief 'deeply saddened' by quake in Iran

UNITED NATIONS - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday said that he was "deeply saddened by the loss of hundreds of lives" and the destruction in the wake of Saturday's strong twin earthquakes in Northwest Iran.

"The secretary-general is deeply saddened by the loss of hundreds of lives, the many injuries and the destruction in the Islamic Republic of Iran as a result of earthquakes that struck areas near the city of Tabriz on August 11," said a statement issued here by Ban's spokesman.

Ban "extends his sincere condolences to the Iranian government and people, particularly the families of those who have been killed or otherwise affected in this disaster", the statement said.

The death toll of Saturday's strong twin quakes in Northwest Iran has risen to some 300, Iran's semi-official Fars news agency cited a local Iranian official as saying on Sunday.

A 6.2-magnitude temblor, with a depth of 10 km, hit Ahar at 4: 53 pm (GMT 1223) on Saturday, while another 6-magnitude earthquake, also with a depth of 10 km, struck nearby Varzaqan at 5:04 pm (GMT 1234), according to the Iranian Seismological Center.

"The United Nations stands ready to lend its assistance to efforts to respond to humanitarian needs created by the disaster and to mobilize international support for that response," the statement said.