Earthquake in Iran-Iraq kills more than 200

Separate quake in Costa Rica rattles communities along the Pacific coast

Two powerful earthquakes struck Sunday, one on the Iran-Iraq border, the other in Costa Rica.

A powerful earthquake shook the Iran-Iraq border late Sunday, killing 207 people and injuring 1,686 in the mountainous region of Iran alone, Iranian state media said.

The Baghdad government did not immediately give word on damage or casualties in that country.

The 7.3-magnitude quake was centered 19 miles outside the eastern Iraqi city of Halabja, according to the most recent measurements from the U.S. Geological Survey. It struck at a depth of 14.4 miles, a shallow depth that can have broader damage. Magnitude 7 earthquakes on their own are capable of widespread, heavy damage.

The quake was felt as far west as the Mediterranean coast. Its worst damage appeared to be in Iran’s western Kermanshah province, which sits in the Zagros Mountains that divide Iran and Iraq. Residents in the rural area rely mainly on farming to make a living.

Iranian social media and news agencies showed images and videos of people fleeing their homes into the night. Some 50 aftershocks have followed.

The state-run IRNA news agency said rescue work was continuing overnight and would accelerate at daylight today.

The semi-official ILNA news agency said at least 14 provinces in Iran were affected.

Iranian state TV also said Iraqi officials reported at least six people dead inside Iraq, along with more than 50 people injured in Sulaymaniyah province and about 150 in the city of Khanaquin.

Iran sits on many major fault lines and is prone to near-daily quakes. In 2003, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake flattened the historic city of Bam, killing 26,000 people. The last major casualty earthquake in Iran struck in East Azerbaijan province in August 2012, killing over 300 people.

In Costa Rica, a strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.5 hit Sunday night, knocking items from shelves and sending people rushing outside in panic.

The country’s Public Safety Ministry said there were reports of two serious injuries, but did not provide additional details.

Electricity was knocked out in some areas as power lines and poles fell, but there were no reports of major infrastructure damage from the tremor, which hit in a lightly populated area on the Pacific Coast. The government reported some rockslides obstructing highways near the epicenter.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake was centered about 10 miles southeast of the town of Jaco, which is about 60 miles southwest of the capital, San Jose. The quake was at a depth of about 12 miles.

Four minutes after the initial earthquake, a magnitude 5.2 aftershock struck.

President Luis Guillermo Solis said via Twitter that the government was still gathering information. He urged people to remain calm and prepare for aftershocks.