At least three people were killed and 580 others were injured in the strong earthquake which jolted the city of Khoy in the West Azarbaijan Province in northwest Iran last night.
The 5.9-magnitude earthquake occurred at a depth of 7 km, according to the Iranian Seismological Centre in Tehran. The tremor was so strong that it was felt in many regions of West Azarbaijan Province and several cities, including the provincial capital of Tabriz in the neighbouring province of East Azarbaijan.
According to the European-Mediterranean Seismological center, the quake was also felt in Turkey, Iraq, Armenia and the Azerbaijan Republic.
The quake also damaged about 70 villages, according to the Iranian news agency (IRNA).
Major geological fault lines crisscross Iran, which has suffered several devastating earthquakes in recent years.
