Three dead, over 200 injured in 5.9 earthquake in Kermanshah

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A magnitude 5.9 earthquake hit the Iranian Kurdish (Rojhilati) Province of Kermanshah (Kermanshan) early Sunday, killing three and wounding over 200 people.

The tremor’s epicenter was located at a depth of eight kilometers underground near the town of Tazehabad, northwest of Kermanshan, according to Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency.

The incident, the Iranian agency reported, so far has resulted in the death of three and injury of 243.

The US Geological Survey stated they had detected a 6.1 on the Richter scale earthquake west-northwest of Kermanshan at 2:43 am.

The quake was felt by the majority of residents of the cities in Kermanshan Province who ran outside their homes for fear of their lives.

The shocks were felt in Iraq and Kurdistan Region as far away as the capitals of Baghdad and Erbil. In cities near the border with Iran, people were prompted to leave their homes.

Lying on a major geological fault-line, earthquakes are a common occurrence in the Rojhilati province of Kermanshan.

Late-July, another earthquake with the same strength hit the province leaving over 150 casualties. Another with 5.1 on the Richter scale in April injured at least 38 according to early reports.

The strongest yet in the recent years was a 7.3 tremor in November 2017 that encompassed whole areas in the Kurdistan Region and Rojhilat. According to reports then, the quake resulted in the death of 630, injury of over 8,100, and tens of thousands homeless.

Editing by Nadia Riva