The Qayen earthquake struck Northern Iran's Khorasan Province on May 10, 1997. Centered on the village of Ardekul, around 270 kilometers (170 mi) south of Mashhad, it was the largest in the area since 1990, measuring 7.3 on the moment magnitude scale. Described as the deadliest quake of 1997 by the US Geological Survey, it ravaged the Birjand–Qayen region, killing 1,567 people and injuring more than 2,300. It damaged or destroyed over 15,000 homes, leaving 50,000 homeless, with a total estimated damage of $100 million. People trapped under the debris were assisted by rescue teams. Around 155 aftershocks caused further destruction, and drove away survivors. The earthquake was caused by a rupture along a fault that runs underneath the Iran–Afghanistan border. Partly because of a deterioration in the quality of buildings in rural areas, earthquake- related incidents have killed around 1 in 3,000 Iranians since the start of the 20th century. The devastation near the earthquake's epicenter was attributed to these poor construction practices, and led to a movement for changes in building codes.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1997_Qayen_earthquake

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1329:

Byzantine–Ottoman wars: A heavily armed Greek force was defeated in the Battle of Pelekanon. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Pelekanon

1838:

More than 25 Australian Aborigines were massacred near Inverell, New South Wales. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myall_Creek_massacre

1935:

American physician Bob Smith had his last alcoholic drink, marking the traditional founding date of Alcoholics Anonymous. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcoholics_Anonymous

1957:

Led by John Diefenbaker, the Progressive Conservative Party won a plurality of the seats in the Canadian House of Commons in the federal election, bringing an end to 22 years of Liberal Party rule. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_federal_election,_1957

2008:

War in Afghanistan: An airstrike by the United States resulted in the deaths of eleven paramilitary troops of the Pakistan Army Frontier Corps and eight Taliban fighters in Pakistan's tribal areas. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gora_Prai_airstrike

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

hung parliament: (government, politics) A parliament in which no single political party has an outright majority. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hung_parliament

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep.   --Saul Bellow https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Saul_Bellow