500 injured in western Iran after earthquake

TEHRAN, IRAN — A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck western Iran near its border with Iraq on Sunday night, injuring more than 500 people and sending fearful residents running into the streets, authorities said.

The Sunday quake hit near Sarpol-e Zahab in Iran’s Kermanshah province, which was the epicentre of an earthquake last year that killed more than 600 people and where some still remain homeless.

Dr. Mahmoud Reza Moradi, the head of Kermanshah’s university of medical science, told Iranian state television that 513 people were hurt. Most of the injuries appeared to be minor; the semiofficial ISNA news agency reported that only 33 people needed to be hospitalized.

Authorities said dozens of rescue teams were immediately deployed after the quake stopped and the country’s army and its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard were responding.

Officials reported damage at buildings both in town and in rural Kermanshah, as well as to some roadways. The quake also downed power lines and caused power outages into the night as temperatures hovered around 8 C.

The quake struck just after 8 p.m. in Iran, meaning most were still awake at the time and able to quickly flee.

The earthquake was felt as far away as the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, 175 kilometres southwest.

Iran is located on major seismic faults and experiences an earthquake per day on average.