A 5.9-magnitude earthquake has hit the northwestern Iranian province of West Azarbaijan, killing at least three people and injuring hundreds.
The tremor struck an area some six kilometers northwest of the city of Khoy at 21:44 p.m. local time (1814 GMT), on Saturday at a depth of seven kilometers, according to the Seismological Center of the Institute of Geophysics of Tehran University.
Local media reports said the quake was felt in many cities and regions across West Azarbaijan province, including the provincial capital of Tabriz and the city of Orumiyeh as well as the neighboring province of East Azarbaijan.
Mohammad Sadeq Motamedian, West Azerbaijan’s governor, said during a visit to the earthquake-affected areas of Khoy on Sunday morning that initial reports indicated that at least three people had lost their lives and 816 others sustained injuries.
“According to estimates, more than 70 villages have been damaged in the earthquake,” Motamedian said, adding that a 20 to 50-percent damage has been inflicted on residential houses in Khoy.
West Azerbaijan’s governor said the post-earthquake restoration process for electric power systems in 30 villages has begun and relief and rescue operations were underway in the quake-stricken areas.
Source: Press TV
