Tehran, Iran (SONNA) – An earthquake measuring magnitude 5.9 struck the city of Khoy in northwestern Iran, killing at least three people and injuring hundreds.
According to Mohammad Sadegh Motamedian, the governor of the West Azerbaijan province, at least 816 people were injured, with some being transported to nearby counties for treatment.
The earthquake, which took place at a depth of 7km, was felt in Urmia and several other counties, and was followed by over 40 aftershocks, the largest of which was a magnitude of 4.2. Damage was reported to buildings and infrastructure in the area, with residential buildings in dozens of villages surrounding Khoy being particularly affected, some of which also experienced power blackouts.
Despite the recent damage, the governor stated that the efforts to fortify vulnerable residential buildings had worked and damages were only reported in areas where buildings were older and not fortified. Amidst close-to-freezing winter temperatures, many residents of Khoy have since been stationed in temporary tents, and aid in the form of two planeloads of aid and dozens of trucks filled with rescue items have been dispatched to the area.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA
