TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) – At least 180 people were killed and 1,300 others injured in two strong earthquakes that jolted northwestern Iran Saturday near the city of Tabriz, state-run news agencies said.
Iran’s state-run Press TV said 180 people had died. Officials feared the casualties would rise.
The city of Ahar was home to 45 of the deaths and 500 of the injured, a local official told state-run IRNA media.
The first earthquake, a magnitude 6.4, hit at 4:53 p.m. local time 37 miles northeast of Tabriz, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), which measured 11 aftershocks. Just 11 minutes later a second quake, measuring 6.3, struck 30 miles northeast of Tabriz.
Authorities reported 17 aftershocks in the region, state-run IRNA media said. The semi-official Fars News Agency reported 35 aftershocks. Officials asked residents, as a safety precaution, to spend the night outdoors.
The quakes affected Tabriz, the capital of East Azarbaijan province, and nearby cities. It razed four villages and another 60 villages sustained heavy damage, said Fars. It said 40 people died in the city of Varzaqan and 50 were killed in Haris.
Initial reports said some buildings in Tabriz suffered structural damage and power lines were down. Telephone lines were down in Ahar, the quake’s epicenter. The extent of the damage was still being assessed.
Many people were in dire need of drinking water, bread and shelter, said Fars, quoting officials.
Authorities dispatched rescue teams to the area.
Press TV broadcast images of collapsed buildings and makeshift medical stations set up in the streets. In scenes broadcast by state-run IRINN, people lying on blankets were administered intravenous fluids.
