Tremors felt in Erbil as 5.5 magnitude earthquake hits Kermanshah

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – A 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit cities in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, originating from the already devastated Kermanshah province in Iran.

The earthquake on Thursday at 9:59 AM (local time) hit several areas in the region, striking the disputed border province of Diyala and the town of Mandali the hardest.

The earthquake was felt in Erbil, Sulaimani, Kirkuk, and Halabja provinces.

The earthquake was also felt in areas as south as Babil, some 125 kilometers south of Baghdad.

In November 2017, a powerful magnitude 7.3 earthquake hit the border areas between the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and Iranian Kurdistan (Rojhilat), killing over 300 people. Extensive damage was caused to infrastructure in the area.

It is unclear how much damage was inflicted by Thursday’s earthquake as the epicenter hit one of the most vulnerable areas in Iran’s Kurdish region.

Towns and cities at the border in the Kurdistan Region also suffered significant structural damage.