A magnitude 6.4 quake hits the west of Iran, over 600 injured
No reports of victims so far. A number of aftershocks followed the main earthquake. Many have slept outdoors despite the cold. The shock also felt in Kuwait, Baghdad, Erbil. At least 21 dead in northern Iraq due to floods.
Teheran (AsiaNews / Agencies) - A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck late yesterday in the province of Kermanshah, in the west of Iran, causing over 600 injuries, most of which were minor. So far there has been no official news of victims, even if rescuers and expert teams are still engaged in operations.
The earthquake was felt in at least seven provinces of the country. For experts, the epicenter is 17 km south-west of the town of Sarpol-e Zahab and at a depth of seven km. The quake struck in the same area where last year a devastating earthquake - one of the most serious in the history of the Islamic Republic - had caused at least 600 deaths and thousands of victims.
The head of the growing Red Crescent in Iran Mahmoud Mohammadi Nasab confirmed that, at the moment, there are no victims. "The number of injured - he added - reached 646 ... Most of these require hospitalization because the injuries are mild".
The videos re-launched by the country's televisions showed images of damaged homes and widespread destruction in Sarpol-e Zahab. Several people have preferred to spend the night outdoors; some of these are still displaced following the 7.3 magnitude quake recorded in November 2017.
In the early morning of today there were two other medium-sized earthquakes of magnitude 5.2 and 4.6. The aftershocks - so far mild - continue, pushing many to stay outdoors despite the cold for fear of new collapses.
Last night’s quake was also felt in Kuwait and Iraq, in particular in Baghdad, Erbil and Iraqi Kurdistan. In the north of Iraq meanwhile the damage and the victims caused by bad weather are counted: at least 21 dead and 180 injured, as well as thousands displaced, the floods' caused by heavy rains that have hit the area in the last two days . Among the victims there are also women and children. Some died by drowning, others in traffic accidents, or trapped in the debris of collapsed houses.
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