Initial casualty reports (compiled on 28 April 1972) showed that there were 3,399 deaths in Qir (two-thirds of the population), with a further 889 injured. There were 400 deaths in Gavakei (almost half of the population) and a further 300 in Bian (a third of the population) and 150 in Sekehravan (about a quarter of the population). The total number of deaths based on initial reports was 5,374 with a further 1,710 injured. The methods of construction used in that affected area led to the high levels of damage. Most buildings were built of
adobe brick with a relatively heavy flat roof of thick
date palm beams resting directly on the brick walls. The addition of layers of mud and straw for waterproofing increased the load on the walls. These structures have a very low resistance to earthquake shaking and most of the deaths occurred due to the collapse of such buildings. More modern types of construction generally fared little better, as they were not properly engineered and lacked many of the elements that would have made them more resistant. Even some of the engineered buildings were badly damaged due to poor design and construction techniques, such as a lack of anchoring between the steel roof I-beams and the reinforced concrete tie-beams on which they rested. One structure, the Shahabad bridge that was well-engineered and constructed using modern techniques, was almost undamaged, compared to the adobe houses in a neighbouring village, all of which collapsed. The earthquake caused damage to
qanats (water tunnels), with the destruction of 180 wells. The flow of some springs was disrupted. ==See also==