50 people hospitalized due to 5.4 magnitude earthquake in Kurdistan

Local officials visited the Darbandikhan Dam to assess any possible damages.

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – A 5.4 magnitude earthquake hit the Kurdistan Region and was felt mainly in the provinces of Sulaimani and Halabja.

An earthquake registering a magnitude of 5.4 on the Richter scale on Sunday at 5:10 PM (local time) struck several areas in the Kurdistan Region, where tremors were felt even in Erbil.

According to local officials in the town of Darbandikhan in Sulaimani province, and Halabja, dozens of people were hospitalized due to the earthquake.

The Director of Health in Halabja told local media that nine people were injured and nearly 50 people suffering from psychological trauma were also submitted to hospital care.

Nasih Mala Hassan, speaking to the Sulaimani-based Xendan news agency, said that several houses affected by the previous earthquake last month had collapsed but that the wreck did not result in any human casualties as the houses were already empty.

Regarding the structural integrity of the Darbandikhan dam, Hassan stated there were no issues despite the strength of the latest quake and that he had visited the dam along with an engineering team, which established there were no damages sustained.

In a statement, the Darbandikhan Education Directorate declared Tuesday a public holiday, closing all schools in the district due to damages inflicted on the schools and fears of collapse.

On November 12, a powerful magnitude 7.3 earthquake hit the border areas between the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and Iranian Kurdistan (Rojhilat), killing nine people in the Region and over 500 others in Rojhilat.

Editing by Nadia Riva