A 7+ Magnitude Earthquake Has Rocked The Iraq-Iran Border Region, Killing At Least 130 And Injuring 1,000

On Sunday in Iraq, a massive quake measuring 7.3 in magnitude rocked the northern part of the country near Halabja, a city in northeastern Iraq near the Iran border. CNN initially reported that several people were reported dead in Iraq, including in the eastern portion of the country and the city of Qasr-e Shirin. The Washington Post added that Iranian deaths had also occurred, and the number of dead was expected to rise as recovery operations continue.

CNN’s updated toll has now surpassed 100 dead with at least 1,000 injured:

A powerful 7.3 magnitude earthquake Sunday in the Iraqi city of Halabja, close to the Iraq-Iran border, killed scores of people in Iran, Iranian officials said.

State-run Press TV reported at least 130 people were killed in Iran, citing the deputy governor of Kermanshah province, Mojtaba Nikkerdar. Citing the head of Iran’s emergency services, Iran’s semi-official news agency Fars News said at least 1,000 people were injured in the quake.

The powerful quake sent tremors through the Iraqi city of Baghdad, located within the central part of the nation. Extensive damage has also been reported in countless villages, which have also seen telecommunication and power outages. The region where the quake struck sits upon one of several major fault lines in Iran, and although that country sees quakes almost daily, the most deadly one in recent history — a 6.6 magnitude quake that left 26,000 dead — struck in 2003.

Following initial reports of Sunday’s devastating. quake, Kurdistan Regional Government Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani tweeted, “A real earthquake has just added to the political, security, humanitarian and economic earthquakes to have hit Kurdistan & Iraq.”

This is a developing story, and we’ll continue to bring you significant updates as they arrive.

(Via CNN, BBC & Washington Post)