TEHRAN, Iran --Thousands of Iranians have been sleeping outdoors after 31 tremors sparked fears of an earthquake similar to the one that razed the city of Bam, according to state television.
It said people had been afraid to go indoors since Tuesday morning when the first of the tremors hit the towns of Izeh and Masjed Soleiman in the oil-rich province of Khuzestan.
"Some houses have been slightly damaged, the schools have been closed," Reuters reported the television as saying. The tremors continued into Wednesday.
Tremors are common in Iran but the deaths of more than 30,000 people in a 6.6 magnitude quake that struck the city of Bam on December 26, has sparked fears of a further major disaster.
The official IRNA news agency said the 31 tremors had a magnitude of between 2.7 and 4.8.
Sattar Akbarzadeh, governor general of Izeh, said he had asked for 20,000 tents to be sent to the area.
"Fire brigades and emergency vehicles have been moved to open areas," he told state television. "The Basij (volunteer militia) forces have been placed on alert."
Iranian authorities last week ended general search-and-rescue operations, despite the rescue of a 97-year-old woman. (Full story)
Relief workers from Iran and more than 60 countries have been trying to help tens of thousands of survivors who are homeless and without basic necessities.
The United States had hoped to send a governmental humanitarian delegation to Iran, headed by Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-North Carolina, a former president of the American Red Cross. However, Iran rejected the offer, saying a visit was possible later.
Washington-Tehran relations have been troubled since 1979 when Iranians seized American hostages in the U.S. Embassy and held most of them for 444 days.
TEHRAN, Iran --Thousands of Iranians have been sleeping outdoors after 31 tremors sparked fears of an earthquake similar to the one that razed the city of Bam, according to state television.
It said people had been afraid to go indoors since Tuesday morning when the first of the tremors hit the towns of Izeh and Masjed Soleiman in the oil-rich province of Khuzestan.
"Some houses have been slightly damaged, the schools have been closed," Reuters reported the television as saying. The tremors continued into Wednesday.
Tremors are common in Iran but the deaths of more than 30,000 people in a 6.6 magnitude quake that struck the city of Bam on December 26, has sparked fears of a further major disaster.
The official IRNA news agency said the 31 tremors had a magnitude of between 2.7 and 4.8.
Sattar Akbarzadeh, governor general of Izeh, said he had asked for 20,000 tents to be sent to the area.
"Fire brigades and emergency vehicles have been moved to open areas," he told state television. "The Basij (volunteer militia) forces have been placed on alert."
Iranian authorities last week ended general search-and-rescue operations, despite the rescue of a 97-year-old woman. (Full story)
Relief workers from Iran and more than 60 countries have been trying to help tens of thousands of survivors who are homeless and without basic necessities.
The United States had hoped to send a governmental humanitarian delegation to Iran, headed by Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-North Carolina, a former president of the American Red Cross. However, Iran rejected the offer, saying a visit was possible later.
Washington-Tehran relations have been troubled since 1979 when Iranians seized American hostages in the U.S. Embassy and held most of them for 444 days.
TEHRAN, Iran --Thousands of Iranians have been sleeping outdoors after 31 tremors sparked fears of an earthquake similar to the one that razed the city of Bam, according to state television.
It said people had been afraid to go indoors since Tuesday morning when the first of the tremors hit the towns of Izeh and Masjed Soleiman in the oil-rich province of Khuzestan.
"Some houses have been slightly damaged, the schools have been closed," Reuters reported the television as saying. The tremors continued into Wednesday.
Tremors are common in Iran but the deaths of more than 30,000 people in a 6.6 magnitude quake that struck the city of Bam on December 26, has sparked fears of a further major disaster.
The official IRNA news agency said the 31 tremors had a magnitude of between 2.7 and 4.8.
Sattar Akbarzadeh, governor general of Izeh, said he had asked for 20,000 tents to be sent to the area.
"Fire brigades and emergency vehicles have been moved to open areas," he told state television. "The Basij (volunteer militia) forces have been placed on alert."
Iranian authorities last week ended general search-and-rescue operations, despite the rescue of a 97-year-old woman. (Full story)
Relief workers from Iran and more than 60 countries have been trying to help tens of thousands of survivors who are homeless and without basic necessities.
The United States had hoped to send a governmental humanitarian delegation to Iran, headed by Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-North Carolina, a former president of the American Red Cross. However, Iran rejected the offer, saying a visit was possible later.
Washington-Tehran relations have been troubled since 1979 when Iranians seized American hostages in the U.S. Embassy and held most of them for 444 days.
TEHRAN, Iran --Thousands of Iranians have been sleeping outdoors after 31 tremors sparked fears of an earthquake similar to the one that razed the city of Bam, according to state television.
It said people had been afraid to go indoors since Tuesday morning when the first of the tremors hit the towns of Izeh and Masjed Soleiman in the oil-rich province of Khuzestan.
"Some houses have been slightly damaged, the schools have been closed," Reuters reported the television as saying. The tremors continued into Wednesday.
Tremors are common in Iran but the deaths of more than 30,000 people in a 6.6 magnitude quake that struck the city of Bam on December 26, has sparked fears of a further major disaster.
The official IRNA news agency said the 31 tremors had a magnitude of between 2.7 and 4.8.
Sattar Akbarzadeh, governor general of Izeh, said he had asked for 20,000 tents to be sent to the area.
"Fire brigades and emergency vehicles have been moved to open areas," he told state television. "The Basij (volunteer militia) forces have been placed on alert."
Iranian authorities last week ended general search-and-rescue operations, despite the rescue of a 97-year-old woman. (Full story)
Relief workers from Iran and more than 60 countries have been trying to help tens of thousands of survivors who are homeless and without basic necessities.
The United States had hoped to send a governmental humanitarian delegation to Iran, headed by Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-North Carolina, a former president of the American Red Cross. However, Iran rejected the offer, saying a visit was possible later.
Washington-Tehran relations have been troubled since 1979 when Iranians seized American hostages in the U.S. Embassy and held most of them for 444 days.
TEHRAN, Iran --Thousands of Iranians have been sleeping outdoors after 31 tremors sparked fears of an earthquake similar to the one that razed the city of Bam, according to state television.
It said people had been afraid to go indoors since Tuesday morning when the first of the tremors hit the towns of Izeh and Masjed Soleiman in the oil-rich province of Khuzestan.
"Some houses have been slightly damaged, the schools have been closed," Reuters reported the television as saying. The tremors continued into Wednesday.
Tremors are common in Iran but the deaths of more than 30,000 people in a 6.6 magnitude quake that struck the city of Bam on December 26, has sparked fears of a further major disaster.
The official IRNA news agency said the 31 tremors had a magnitude of between 2.7 and 4.8.
Sattar Akbarzadeh, governor general of Izeh, said he had asked for 20,000 tents to be sent to the area.
"Fire brigades and emergency vehicles have been moved to open areas," he told state television. "The Basij (volunteer militia) forces have been placed on alert."
Iranian authorities last week ended general search-and-rescue operations, despite the rescue of a 97-year-old woman. (Full story)
Relief workers from Iran and more than 60 countries have been trying to help tens of thousands of survivors who are homeless and without basic necessities.
The United States had hoped to send a governmental humanitarian delegation to Iran, headed by Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-North Carolina, a former president of the American Red Cross. However, Iran rejected the offer, saying a visit was possible later.
Washington-Tehran relations have been troubled since 1979 when Iranians seized American hostages in the U.S. Embassy and held most of them for 444 days.
