Almost 10% of buildings in Iran’s capital face potential collapse during earthquakes exceeding 7 on the Richter scale, leading to widespread destruction, according to new research.
On February 29th, the state-run newspaper Donya-e Eghtesad reported a new study by the Iranian parliament’s Research Center, which revealed that 65% of buildings in Tehran’s District 1 are in critical condition due to their location on a major fault line.
The report emphasizes that 100 densely populated buildings and 245 critical facilities in Tehran are at risk from a major earthquake. The Research Center has urged the government to restrict the activities of Tehran’s Article 5 Commission, which approves land sales to developers, leading to increased building density.
The report blames the Article 5 Commission for “building densification on major fault lines” and calls for its activities to be halted. It further recommends prohibiting the construction of high-rise buildings on active faults. In areas identified as lying on major faults, the study suggests the conversion of at-risk buildings into green spaces by the Tehran municipality.
The Research Center’s findings paint a grim picture, with 10 areas of Tehran currently situated on major fault lines. Furthermore, the report identifies 245 critical and sensitive sites within the city’s fault zones, categorized into 18 groups and covering approximately 32 hectares of aging urban areas.
These sites reportedly include 6 towers, 36 schools, 25 mosques, 23 bridges and roads, 22 assembly centers, 15 hospitals and medical centers, 9 municipal buildings and related centers, 9 universities and higher education institutions, 9 high-pressure power stations, 8 water tanks, 4 museums, 4 judicial buildings, 3 fire stations, 2 Ministry of Foreign Affairs buildings, 2 gas stations, 1 Ministry of Petroleum building, 1 oil warehouse, and 6 additional important buildings.
Amir Mansouri, a professor at Tehran University and head of the Nazar Architecture and Urban Planning Research Institute, criticized the government’s policies and warned of potential fatalities of up to three million people in the event of an earthquake.
Additionally, Ali Baitollahi, the head of the engineering seismology and risk assessment department at the Road, Housing and Urban Development Research Center, voiced concerns about the poor construction quality in Iran on September 8th, 2023. He stated that approximately 60% of buildings would be destroyed in a 7.0-magnitude earthquake.
The combination of outdated urban planning and mismanagement creates a significant risk of catastrophic damage from earthquakes in Tehran.
