Photo shows the collapsed houses during the earth quake Tuesday (xinhua photo)

    BEIJING, Feb. 27 (Xinhuanet) -- Iranian President Mohammad Khatami says the powerful earthquake which struck the southeast of the country this week has killed 612 people and injured nearly 1500.

    When inspecting the devastated area Saturday, he said that 32 percent of the deaths are children.

    The 6.4 magnitude quake struck before dawn on Tuesday, levelling mud-brick houses in dozens of villages and affecting an estimated 30,000 people in the Zarand region north of the provincial capital of Kerman.

    In December 2003, more than 30,000 people were killed in the ancient city of Bam, further south of Kerman.

    (Source: CRIENGLISH.com)