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Powerful earthquake in Iraq kills at least 61 in Iran

Posted at 6:52 PM, Nov 12, 2017
and last updated 2017-11-12 18:54:40-05

A powerful 7.3 magnitude earthquake Sunday in the Iraqi city of Halabja, close to the Iraq-Iran border, killed at least 61 people in Iran, Iranian officials said.

Citing the head of Iran’s emergency services, Iran’s semi-official news agency Fars News also said at least 300 people were injured in quake.

Four people died in eastern Iraq and dozens were wounded in the town of Darbandikhan, Iraq, Omar Ahmad, the governor of Sulaimaniya, told CNN.

The temblor, centered about 350 kilometers (217 miles) north of Baghdad, was felt throughout Iraq, according the US Geological Survey.

Iraq’s Meteorological Organization issued a warning on Iraqi State TV urging citizens to stay away from buildings and to refrain from using elevators.

Shocks were also felt in Pakistan, Lebanon, Kuwait and Turkey, news agencies in those countries reported.