A 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck northwest Iran, killing at least three and injuring more than 800. Around 60 seriously injured people underwent emergency surgery in nearby hospitals, and almost all of them are now out of danger, according to the local health authority, according to state broadcaster IRIB.
The epicenter of the quake was in the city of Choi in the province of West Azerbaijan, as Iranian media reported on Sunday night. Accordingly, numerous buildings were damaged in Choi and in dozens of other towns in the border region with Turkey. According to local authorities, the area was shaken by twelve aftershocks on Sunday night.
According to the Geoforschungszentrum Potsdam, the earthquake occurred on Saturday evening at around 9:44 p.m. (local time) at a depth of 10 kilometers.
The Iranian government immediately dispatched Red Crescent rescue workers to the affected areas. For fear of further aftershocks, more than 70,000 families had to spend the night outside despite the freezing cold.
Only on Wednesday a week ago there had been an earthquake in the region. At least 120 people were injured and hundreds of buildings damaged.
