Rescue and relief efforts proceeded Monday in Iran and Iraq following a magnitude 7.3 earthquake that killed more than 200 people.
The quake struck Sunday with an epicenter near the town of Halabja in Iraq’s Kurdistan region.
Most of the casualties were reported in Iran, where officials said on state television that the quake injured another 1,650 people.
The worst-hit area was Iran’s Kermanshah province, which announced three days of mourning.
The initial earthquake was followed by multiple aftershocks that sent people fleeing from their homes overnight.
The quake cut power and telephone service to several Iranian and Iraqi towns, making rescue efforts more difficult.
The U.S. Geological Survey says Sunday’s quake was along a 1,500 kilometer long fault line that runs through Iran and Iraq.
Iran has been hit by many deadly earthquakes. A 2003 quake in the southern city of Bam killed at least 26,000 people, while a 2012 quake in East Azerbaijan province killed more than 300. | via VOANews
