TEHRAN – The number of people injured in the 5.6-magnitude earthquake that rocked northwestern Iran on Friday morning has reached 239, Xinhua quoted the Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA) report made yesterday.
The quake, which occurred near Khoy County in the province of West Azarbaijan at 6.46am local time, has a depth of 8km, according to the Iranian Seismological Centre.
Of the injured people, 50 were from Khoy County and the rest were from Salmas County, Sadeq Mahmoudi, head of Iran’s Relief and Rescue Organisation, was quoted by ISNA as saying.
He added that 219 people have been released from medical centres after receiving treatment, while 20 people, including seven from Khoy and 13 from Salmas, have been hospitalised.
Mahmoudi added that tents and blankets have been sent out to residents in the quake-affected areas.
On Friday, West Azarbaijan’s Housing Foundation director-general Jafar Barzegar told Iran’s official news agency IRNA that 80 residential units in 10 villages in the counties of Salmas and Khoy were damaged in the earthquake.
In late January, a 5.9-magnitude earthquake in Khoy County killed three people and injured more than 800. – Bernama, March 26, 2023
