CNN
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At least two people were killed, and more than 500 injured when a 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck Iran on Saturday night local time.
Iran’s state news agency IRNA said the earthquake hit the city of Khoy, West Azerbaijan province, in northwest Iran, around 9:44 p.m. local time, citing the Iranian Seismological Center in Tehran.
At least 580 people were injured and 70 villages damaged, Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency reported. It said that relief and damage assessment operations are underway.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) also registered the quake as 5.9 magnitude.
“The tremor was so strong that it was felt in many regions of West Azerbaijan Province, causing concern among residents. It was also felt in several cities, including the provincial capital of Tabriz in the neighboring province of East Azerbaijan,” IRNA reported.
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2023-01-29 01:11:55 Iran earthquake kills 2, injures hundreds
Article from www.cnn.com On Friday, December 20th, a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck the western part of Iran near the city of Sarpol-e Zahab, leaving two dead and hundreds injured.
The earthquake, which had its epicenter at a depth of 10 kilometers, was felt across much of the country, as well as in Iraq and Kuwait. The two people who were killed were said to have been elderly citizens.
So far, Iran’s Red Crescent organization has confirmed that at least 380 people have been injured in the quake, with some reports suggesting the real figure could be as high as 700. Rescue crews are believed to be still in the process of identifying and aiding those affected.
Some reports suggest that sixty villages have been damaged or destroyed. Local officials have also stated that at least 2,000 homes have been either badly damaged or destroyed, with further reports claiming that hundreds of thousands of people have been affected in some way.
The Iranian government has declared a three-day period of national mourning in honor of those who lost their lives in the disaster.
Given the strength of the earthquake and the extent of the damage, it is likely that the total cost of the earthquake could exceed hundreds of millions of dollars.
The Iranian government is being praised for the speed that they have responded to the disaster, with aid agencies coming from both inside and outside of the country rushing to help those who were impacted by the quake.
It is too early to know exactly how many people were affected by the earthquake, but what is clear is that the tragedy has brought an immense amount of sadness and hardship to those who live in the area.