Mostly women and children dead in Iran quake

Twin earthquakes in Iran have left mostly women and children dead. A disproportionate number of women and children have been reported dead with the official toll including 219 women and children and 49 men. Government officials have already announced the end of rescue efforts. 

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Reports from Al Jazeera and Reuters have noted the discrepancy, saying that the death toll may actually be much higher. Official tallies are coming from morgues and government officials, however locals buried many of their dead immediately, and therefore several may be left off the official counts for some time to come. 

Government officials are warning that the toll will rise, although they have announced the end of all rescue operations, saying that all people involved have been recovered. 

Despite the opaque coverage coming from Iran, it is clear the devastation is substantial. A pair of quakes, measuring 6.4 and 6.3 on the Richter scale, struck about 11 minutes apart. Many structures that survived the first quake, collapsed in the second, often as people went into still standing buildings to retrieve loved ones and items. 
Red Crescent officials say at least 1,000 villages have been affected over a wide area, and at least 20 have been completely destroyed. 

Following the quakes, many people stayed outside, setting up makeshift camps and sleeping in the streets. 

Nearly a hundred aftershocks of lesser magnitude have kept nerves frayed.

Most of the casualties appear to be in rural areas where structures are small and makeshift. Despite official reports to the contrary, locals say they are still searching for the missing. Some of those people may be separated by the resultant chaos, but it is still suspected that several bodies remain to be recovered. Locals are hopeful they can still find survivors amongst the rubble. 

Local news and aid agencies are calling for drinking water and food. Meanwhile, the government has already approved funds to help locals rebuild their homes, in the amount of approximately $1,000 per family. 

The US Geological Survey says the quakes struck about 37 miles northeast of Tabriz, a rural city with little connection to Iran's nuclear or oil activities. 

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