6. Tehran, Iran
Metro area population: 12,183,391
The biggest threat to Tehran’s citizens in case of an earthquake would be the lack of sufficiently strict building code. The situation is so bad that some experts, like Bahram Akasheh, Tehran University geophysics professor, suggested moving the nation’s capital. Apparently, out of 32 fire station inside the city, only 5 are constructed according to the modern standards, allowing them to survive a major earthquake. If an earthquake similar to the one that hit he city in 1930 happens, Akasheh estimates that more than 80% of all buildings would collapse, trapping and possibly killing thousands. Tehran and Rey Faults running beneath the city may be primary suspects for causing such a disaster, but Mosha Fault going through nearby Alborz mountain Range may cause havoc as well.
