Hundreds injured, 3 dead, as earthquake hits Iran

By Mohammed Tawfeeq, CNN

At least three people were killed and more than 800 injured when a 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck Iran on Saturday night local time, according to Iranian news agencies.

Iran’s state news agency IRNA said the earthquake hit the city of Khoy, West Azerbaijan province, in northwest Iran, around 9:44 p.m. local time, citing the Iranian Seismological Center in Tehran.

The semi-official Tasmin news agency put the toll at three dead and 816 injured, while the Mehr news agency said 70 villages had been damaged. Mehr said that relief and damage assessment operations are underway.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) also registered the quake as 5.9 magnitude.

“The tremor was so strong that it was felt in many regions of West Azerbaijan Province, causing concern among residents. It was also felt in several cities, including the provincial capital of Tabriz in the neighboring province of East Azerbaijan,” IRNA reported.

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