Over 140 people have died and hundreds more have been injured in a 7.3-magnitude earthquake near the Iran-Iraq border.
The quake, which hit the Kurdistan region, was felt across the Middle East, including as far away as Turkey, Israel, Kuwait and Qatar.
Seems like the whole Middle East felt this #quake
“@LastQuake: Map of the testimonies received so far following the #earthquake M7.2 in #Iran–#Iraq Border Region pic.twitter.com/feAF5seKai“
— Osama Bin Javaid (@osamabinjavaid) November 12, 2017
Six people have been killed in the predominantly Kurdish town of #Kermanshah in Iran as 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck #Sulaymaniyah. According to latest reports, one killed and more than 50 wounded in Sulaymaniyah. pic.twitter.com/zFATIh2lGx
— Aylina Kılıç (@AylinaKilic) November 12, 2017
Local authorities have said that the official death toll of 141 is expected to rise, and that 860 injuries have been reported so far.
Many of the deaths were in Kermanshah province near the Iraq border, where 129 people died. The Iranian town of Sarpol-e Zahab suffered 60 deaths, and the town’s hospital has been badly damaged, making it difficult to treat the injured. Landslides across the region have made rescue attempts perilous.
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Footage shows moments when magnitude 7.2 #earthquake rocked #Kurdistan region of #Iraq, #Sharbazher district in #Sulaymaniyah Governorate pic.twitter.com/91JLSwlzzJ— Diyar Kurda (@diyarkurda) November 12, 2017
Motjaba Nikkerder, an Iranian governor, told the media:
There are still people under the rubble. We hope the number of dead and injured won’t rise too much, but it will rise.
The quake is the strongest to hit the region in some time. The country is bracing for aftershocks.
