At least 120 injured and hundreds of homes damaged after earthquake rocks Iran and Turkey

Over 100 people have been injured in a huge 5.8 magnitude earthquake in an Iranian province, emergency officials have confirmed. 

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported the quake in the West Azerbaijan province, on the Turkish border. 

200 rural houses were reportedly damaged in the tremor. According to the governor for Khoy, which was near the earthquake, the number of people injured has reached 120.

The Iranian Seismological Center, affiliated with the Institute of Geophysics at Tehran University, report that the earthquake occurred at 1.38pm local time.

The quake struck at a depth of 12km from the earth’s surface.

Nearby provinces also felt the high-intensity jolt, including East Azerbaijan, reported Turkey’s state-run news agency Anadolu.

No casualties have been reported so far. USGS issued a yellow alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. 

According to local media, teams have been dispatched to the worst affected areas in Khoy. The Iranian Red Crescent reported it has sent search and rescue teams to the quake-hit areas.

There have been reports of 7 aftershocks so far.

Iran is located in a seismically active zone due to several major geological faultlines which crisscross the country, and has gone through several catastrophic earthquakes in recent years.

Last October a 5.4 magnitude earthquake hit Khoy, leaving nearly 400 people injured, as well as partial or full damage to hundreds of urban and rural residential properties.

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