The Philippines on Monday expressed its sympathies to Iran and Iraq after a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck the northern Kurdish regions of both countries, killing more than a hundred people and injuring more than a thousand.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said both the Philippine Embassies in Baghdad and Tehran have reported that so far there are no Filipinos among the dead or injured.
“The people of the affected areas of Iran and Iraq are in our thoughts and prayers today,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter S. Cayetano said.
“Our deepest sympathies go out to the families of those who lost their lives in this tragedy,” Secretary Cayetano added.
The Philippine Embassy in Baghdad said the earthquake, which struck at around 9:20 pm (2:20 am in Manila), was centered near the city of Halabja in Iraqi Kurdistan.
The earthquake also affected Kurdish areas of Iran, including the cities of Sarpol and Ilam, according to Ambassador to Tehran Wilfredo Santos. He said the eight Filipino-Iranians residing in Ilam are all safe.
The tremor, which was also felt in Baghdad, about 350 kilometers south of Halabja, caused some minor damage to the Embassy, according to Chargé d’Affaires Elmer Cato.
He said the temblor also sent some of the 3,000 Filipinos in Kurdistan spilling into the streets. A two-member team from the Embassy that has been stationed in Erbil also had to rush out of the hotel they were staying in. | DFA-PR
