Earthquake near Bam, Iran

A powerful earthquake struck southeastern Iran on December 26, 2003, killing thousands and destroying much of the city of Bam.

This one-meter resolution satellite image of Bam, Iran was taken by Space Imaging's IKONOS satellite on Dec. 27, 2003, just one day after a catastrophic earthquake struck the historic city. The image shows widespread destruction as a result of the 6.7 magnitude earthquake that leveled 70 percent of the buildings according to news reports.

Clearly seen in this image is the 2,000-year-old citadel, considered the world's largest mud fortress. According to news reports, much of the medieval fortress crumbled like a sand castle when the quake hit. The citadel was a popular tourist attraction and is on the register of the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and has been a World Heritage site.

Bam is located about 1,000 km (620 miles) southeast of Tehran.

Metadata

  • Sensor

    IKONOS/IKONOS

  • Start Date

    2003-12-27

  • Event Start Date

    2003-12-26

  • NH Image ID

    11892

  • NH Event ID

    10235

  • NH Posting Date

    2004-01-05