TEHRAN, 17 January 2004 — Iran yesterday raised the death toll for the Dec. 26 earthquake in Bam to 41,000, with a close aide to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei saying the final figure could hit 45,000.

The announcement of the toll, which previously stood at 30,000 to 35,000 dead, was given during Khamenei’s second tour of the destroyed southeastern city and an inspection of relief, recovery and reconstruction efforts.

“In this incident, up until now 41,000 of the people of Bam have been killed, and there is a possibility that this could increase to 45,000,” Mohammad Mohammadi-Gholpayghani, head of Khamenei’s office, told the state news agency IRNA.

“This is a great catastrophe,” he was quoted as saying, vowing that reconstruction work would be accelerated.

Previous official estimates had put the death toll at between 30,000 and 35,000, but recovery crews in Bam have continued to pull out bodies as they work to clear away the rubble from the city, 80 percent of which was flattened.

The city, whose historic mud-brick citadel was devastated, was once home to 100,000 residents. The number of people injured has been put at around 30,000.

“All officials have to give their full attention to Bam. Their efforts so far deserve recognition, and these efforts should be accelerated,” Mohammadi-Gholpayghani said.

“The leader says Bam must be rebuilt, so his orders must materialize.”

A senior provincial official said the rebuilding of Bam would take two years, and announced the government had opened up tenders to Iranian and foreign companies.

“Bam is going to be rebuilt in the same place,” said Mehdi Jahangiri, deputy governor-general in charge of planning for Kerman province.

He said a reconstruction committee set up by reformist President Mohammad Khatami had also invited the private sector to take part in the rebuilding.

“The private sector has also been invited, but under the supervision of the government. Private companies from Iran and outside Iran can participate in reconstruction through tenders,” he said.

And amid ongoing problems with “opportunists” from nearby areas seeking to steal some of the massive amounts of aid supplies — especially tents — that poured in from across Iran and overseas, he said the police were cracking down.

“The police and intelligence service have started the task of identifying opportunists,” he said. “Since Wednesday more than 100 tents have been seized back from these people, and this trend is increasing.