A 5.9-magnitude earthquake kills three and injures hundreds in Iran

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A 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck northwest Iran near the border with Turkey on Saturday, killing at least three people and injuring more than 800.

The Islamic Republic of Iran News Agency quoted the Iranian Seismological Center as saying that the earthquake hit the city of Khoy in West Azerbaijan Province.

The Mehr news agency reported that 70 villages were affected, adding that relief operations were under way.

Damage to buildings and some infrastructure has been reported in the area with some neighborhoods experiencing power outages as well.

The city has experienced several smaller but major earthquakes in the past months with no casualties or major damage.

Videos circulating on social media show heavy traffic on the city’s streets late Saturday as residents abandoned their homes. Many were put up in makeshift tents in freezing temperatures.

Iran intersects major geological fault lines and is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world because it is located where the Arabian, Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet.

Iran has had a horrific history of massive earthquakes in recent decades, with some killing as many as tens of thousands of people and causing billions in damage, such as the 6.6-magnitude earthquake in Kerman Province in 2003 that killed 31,000 people and flattened the ancient city. bam.

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