There are over one million housing units in the capital’s distressed areas and a relatively strong earthquake in Tehran can cause more than 800,000 casualties in the four riskiest districts of the city including Districts 10, 12, 16 and 21, said Mohammad Shekarchizadeh, head of Roads, Homes and Cities Construction Research Center, on the sidelines of the fifth experts meeting on earthquakes held in Tehran, Wednesday. “From among 63,000 housing units in District 21, around 21,000 are unauthorized and have been built without permits. So the district is highly vulnerable to natural hazards,” IRNA quoted him as saying.
