The looters have been transferred to the nearby city of Kerman and "will be tried quickly", provincial justice chief Gholamhossein Heydari told the news agency.

"They were exploiting the disorganisation of the first days and the distribution of emergency aid in order to steal what was not meant for them," he said.

The two days after massive pre-dawn temblor saw several scenes of aid convoys being looted. Many of the thieves appeared to have driven to the devastated city from unaffected areas.

TERRA.WIRE