The earthquake that shook northwestern Iran on Saturday killed 229 people and injured 1,300, the interior ministry said today.
This was the second time the government had lowered its toll amid public anger over its handling of the disaster.
"The quake left 226 dead in the Qazvin province, and three others in Hamedan. There were 1,300 injured, 500 of whom are hospitalised," said Mr Abbas Jazayeri, the head of the ministry's natural disasters division.
About 9,500 homes and buildings were destroyed, mainly villages around the town of Avaj in the south of Qazvin, the epicenter of the devastating quake that registered 6.3 on the Richter scale, the official said.
He vowed reconstruction should be completed "quickly, before the winter."
UN coordinator in Iran, Mr Franceso Bastagli, said meanwhile the United Nations had completed a two-day survey of the disaster zone.
The probe highlighted the failure of the Iranian authorities to swiftly deliver aid to the trouble-hit region.
The UN stressed the urgent need for drinkable water, tents, generators, and financial aid for the hard-hit population.
In contrast to government figures, the UN assessment team had earlier said "hundreds" of people were killed and up to 4,000 injured in Saturday's quake.
Initially, the government said 500 people were killed in the quake, but then lowered the number on Sunday to 250 dead.
It has only raised the number of injured by 300, in contrast to the UN figure.
Officials had also put the number of homeless at 12,000, but the United Nations refugee agency has said as many as 80,000 people are in need of tents.
Meanwhile Iranian President Mohammad Khatami's office said he would go to the area tomorrow "to see the extent of the damage for himself and console the victims."
AFP