Iraq-Iran border Earthquake Kills Many, Unsettles Residents

Earthquake: Many Baghdad residents left their houses for the streets when the quake struck. credit/BBC

Iraq-Iran border Earthquake Kills Many, Unsettles Residents

Several people have been reported death and about 50 injured this evening as an earthquake of 7.2-magnitude rattled the northern Iraq-Iran border region.

Iran is one of the most seismically active countries in the world, being crossed by several major faults that cover at least 90% of the country. As a result, earthquakes in Iran occur often and are destructive.

The worst earthquake in the recent times of Iranian history occurred in Bam on December 22, 2013 where a 6.6M earthquake killed 43, 000 persons and injured 30, 000 while 45, 000 to 75, 000 persons were displaced.

BBC quoting the US Geological Survey (USGS) reports that the quake struck this evening local time south of the Iraqi town of Halabja at a depth of 33.9 km (21 miles), adding that at least six people were killed in the Iranian town of Qasr-e Shirin.

Report say the earthquake sparked panic in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, with residents fleeing their house for the streets.

Mosques in Baghdad and elsewhere in Iraq have been saying prayers through loudspeakers.

Iranian news channel IRINN says rescue teams have been dispatched to western parts of the country.

“Damage has been reported in at least eight villages,” Morteza Salim, the head of Iran’s Red Crescent Organisation, told the channel.

“Some other villages have suffered power cuts and their telecommunication system has also been disturbed.”

Kurdish TV also said many people in the autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan region fled their homes when it struck. Local officials cited by Reuters said one person had died and at least 50 people were injured.

The Iranian plateau is subject to most types of tectonic activity, including active folding, faulting and volcanic eruptions. It is well known for its long history of disastrous earthquake activity. Not only have these earthquakes killed thousands, but they have also led to waste of valuable natural resources. Since 1900, at least 126,000 fatalities have resulted from earthquakes in Iran.