A 6.2-magnitude earthquake killed at least 90 people and injured over 400 others in northwestern Iran on Saturday, state TV said.
Iran’s main news channel said the quake hit the towns of Ahar, Haris and Varzaqan in East Azerbaijan province at 4:53 pm local time (IST 17:53), also damaging hundreds of homes.The TV quoted Khalil Saei, local Crisis Committee chief, as saying that 30 people were killed in Ahar, 40 in Varzaqan and 17 others in Haris.
The broadcast said at least 60 villages sustained damage ranging from 50 to 80 per cent, while 4 other villages had been totally leveled to the ground. The TV said at least three aftershocks — measuring 6.0, 4.7 and 4.1 — jolted the same area and were felt in a wide region near the Caspian Sea.
Published 11 August 2012, 20:31 IST