Iran: Destruction by earthquake in Khoy

A 5.9 magnitude earthquake in north-western Iran has brought down many houses. According to civil protection, two people died and more than 120 were injured.

An earthquake has caused destruction in the city of Khoy in north-western Iran. Some houses have collapsed and cars have been crushed by falling parts of the building.

A civil protection spokesman said on Iranian state television that two people had died and 122 others were injured. Even at the hospital in Khoy there are large cracks in the wall. Therefore, serious damage must be assumed. Hospitals in Iran are usually built to be earthquake-proof.

Snowfall makes the rescue operation difficult

There is no electricity in some parts of Khoy, and many people have taken to the streets for fear of aftershocks. Rescue teams come to the earthquake area from surrounding towns, but snowfall makes their work difficult.

The quake measured 5.9 on the Richter scale, according to the US Geological Institute. The tremors were also felt in eastern Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

It was the third earthquake in the Khoy region within a few months. Just ten days ago, around 120 people were injured there after a 5.4 magnitude earthquake – most of them as a result of panic.