12 earthquakes recorded across Sulaimani, surrounding areas

Twelve earthquakes of at least 3.7-magnitude were recorded in Sulaimani on Wednesday.

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – Twelve earthquakes of at least 3.7-magnitude were recorded in Sulaimani on Wednesday, officials from the province’s Directorate of Meteorology and Seismology said.

According to officials who monitor the tremors, the earthquakes were felt in the south and east of the province’s border areas with Iranian Kurdistan (Rojhilat) earlier in the day.

Some of the earthquakes had reached a magnitude of up to 3.7 on the Richter scale, especially in the city of Khanaqin, south of Sulaimani, affecting an estimated 4.5-kilometer (2.8-mile) radius, the officials said.

Although residents said they felt the tremors, no casualties had been reported.

An earthquake on Nov. 12, 2017, killed seven in the Kurdistan Region and injured dozens of others. (Photo: Archive)
An earthquake on Nov. 12, 2017, killed seven in the Kurdistan Region and injured dozens of others. (Photo: Archive)

The natural phenomenon is common in the Sulaimani Province and surrounding regions. In mid-February, a 4.3-magnitude earthquake hit the area but no casualties were reported.

A statement by Sulaimani’s Directorate of Meteorology and Seismology at the time reported people being able to feel the ground shake in Rania, Qaladze, and other areas.

Also in February, a 4.6-magnitude earthquake was recorded in the city of Khanaqin in Diyala Province.

The most recent, deadliest earthquake to rock the region was on Nov. 12, 2017, when a devastating 7.3-magnitude tremor hit the border areas of the Kurdistan Region and Rojhilat.

Nine civilians were killed in Kurdistan, with scores more injured. The locations most affected were Sulaimani, Halabja, and northern parts of Diyala.

Meanwhile, over 500 casualties were reported in the Kurdish province of Kermanshan in Rojhilat, with hundreds more injured.

The tremor and subsequent aftershocks caused major damage to public facilities and properties, including historical buildings and dams.

An estimated 15,000 houses were destroyed in Rojhilat when the earthquake leveled two villages, leaving up to 70,000 people homeless.