Over 320 Dead and 5,300 Injured in Iraq-Iran Earthquake

Published November 13th, 2017 - 07:33 GMT
An injured person being treated in Sulaimaniyah Hospital in Iraq after the earthquake (AFP)
An injured person being treated in Sulaimaniyah Hospital in Iraq after the earthquake (AFP)

An earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale rocked northern Iraq and Iran, the U.S. Geological Survey said on Sunday evening.

So far, over 320 have been killed and 5,300 injured in Iran and Iraq, according to The Guardian.

The epicenter of the quake was located around 32 kilometers (20 miles) southwest of the city of Halabja, near the Iranian border, and 103 kilometres (64 miles) southeast of the city of Sulaymaniyah, at a depth of 33 kilometers, and hit at 9:18 p.m. local time (1818GMT), said the U.S. Geological Survey.

According to Iraqi media, the earthquake damaged buildings in certain areas of Kirkuk and Sulaymaniyah.

The quake was followed by a dozen aftershocks ranging from 3.1 to 4.1 in magnitude, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The earthquake damaged phone, internet, and powerlines throughout various towns and villages.

The quake also destroyed a number of buildings in rural areas and caused cracks in the walls of villages and towns some 122km to the West of Kermanshah city, Fars News Agency added.

The earthquake was also felt in Turkey's southeastern and eastern regions, and as far away as Kuwait, Syria, Lebanon, and Pakistan.

 

 

This article has been adapted from its original source.