'Survivor' wanted drugs only
01/03/2005 14:35  - (SA)  

Man rescued 8 days after quake 612 dead in Iran quake Frantic search for survivors Iran quake toll tops 530 US offers help to Iran Quake destroyed 20 villages Bush: Iran attack 'ridiculous' Up to 500 dead in Iran quake More quake deaths expected

Tehran - An Iranian man who claimed to have survived eight days under the rubble of his home after a devastating earthquake last week made the story up so he could get some free morphine, local officials said on Tuesday.

"He is an addict and a liar. He had no signs of dehydration, bruises, or even dust on his cloths when he came into hospital in the morning," said the examining doctor at a hospital in Zarand, Mansoor Asnaashari.

The official news agency IRNA had said Ahmad Habibzadeh, 40, had survived eight days under rubble and had been dug out by locals in the old quarter of the town of Zarand, one of the worst affected areas in the February 22 quake in southeastern Iran.

"These days lots of people come to the hospital and claim they are victims of the earthquake and in pain to get free strong painkillers," the doctor said.

Iran has an estimated two million drug users, out of which at least a quarter of a million are intravenous users of opium, morphine or heroin.

The quake, which measured 6.4 on the Richter scale, left 612 dead and 1 400 injured.

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