At least three people were killed and 800 injured in an earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale that struck northern Iran, Iranian media reported on Sunday.
The earthquake occurred near the city of Khoy, close to the Turkish border, according to the Iran Seismological Center, which is part of Tehran University.
This latest count also highlights the material damage caused by the earthquake, both in the town and its surroundings, having affected at least 70 municipalities, of which 26 need a special assessment by the Crisis Management Coordination, according to the country’s official news agency, IRNA.
For its part, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement announced the start of an aid operation whose first shipment consists of 1,400 food packages and 300 relief tents, in addition to the presence of 11 rescuers and volunteers to help the affected population.
The quake was recorded at a depth of seven kilometers, according to Iran’s Seismological Center in Tehran.
The quake was felt in many regions of West Azarbaijan province, including Tabriz and neighboring East Azarbaijan province, Iran’s IRNA news agency reported.
The city of Khoy is close to the border with Turkey, so IRNA reported that the quake could also be felt in this country, in addition to Iraq, Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan.
*News updated at 9:31 am
Source: TSF
