Iran Reports 180 Dead in Earthquakes

 Officials in Iran say 180 people have been killed in two strong earthquakes just 11 minutes apart in the country's northwest, near the city of Tabriz.

More than 1,300 people are estimated to have been injured in Saturday's mid-afternoon quakes.

State television reported at least six villages in  were completely leveled, while 60 others sustained damage ranging from 50 to 80 percent.

Geological officials differed slightly on magnitude measurements, but both Tehran University and the U.S. Geological Survey put the magnitude of both temblors at 6 or above.

A series of aftershocks have rumbled¹ through the area, prompting thousands of people to spend the night outdoors. Rescue teams are still searching for victims in collapsed² buildings, and officials fear the death toll³ will rise.

The Red Crescent aid society says it has given emergency shelter to about 16,000 people and is sending in more supplies. Officials say they fear rescuers still have not reached some remote villages hit by the quake.

Earthquakes are common in Iran, but few are significant enough to be noticed. The last major earthquake in Iran was a magnitude-6.6 quake in 2003 in the southeastern city of Bam, where tens of thousands of people died.

1 rumbled   

发出隆隆声，发出辘辘声( rumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 轰鸣着缓慢行进； 发现…的真相； 看穿（阴谋）

参考例句：

• The machine rumbled as it started up. 机器轰鸣着发动起来。
• Things rapidly became calm, though beneath the surface the argument rumbled on. 事情迅速平静下来了，然而，在这种平静的表面背后争论如隆隆雷声，持续不断。

2 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

3 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。