blackened

Much of the Glen Rosa valley was left looking like a charred and blackened moonscape, with little sign of the years of work from the National Trust for Scotland, which is responsible for the area.

An image from Iran's Tasnim news agency on Sunday showed a helicopter flying through a sky blackened by smoke to drop water on the disaster-struck area, AFP reported.

Government ministries, banks and office blocks stand blackened and burned, while the museum – a symbol of the nation's proud history and culture – has been particularly hard hit.

Every archaeologist remembers the first time they came to a layer of blackened dirt while excavating.

The city is now a burnt-out shell, with bombed and blackened buildings.