Deadly Earthquakes Rattle Northern Iran
August 13, 2012; 2:33 AM
Ruins of a houses are seen after an earthquake in the city of Varzaqan in northwestern Iran, on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2012. (AP Photo/Mehr News Agency, Hamed Nazari)
A pair of strong earthquakes rattled northern Iran Saturday afternoon, local time. The ensuing damage has claimed at least 300 lives.
The initial earthquake shook around 4:53 p.m. local time (8:23 a.m. EDT Saturday) with a magnitude of 6.4. The second tremor shook approximately 10 minutes later with a magnitude of 6.3. Both of these values were confirmed by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Numerous aftershocks have followed.
Both of the earthquakes shook near the major city of Tabriz. Tabriz is a major city in northern Iran and the fourth most populous city in Iran with a population near 1.5 million.
At least 300 people are dead with more than 3,000 others injured, according to the BBC. More than 100 villages sustained damage.
The weather will remain dry for rescue and cleanup operations through at least midweek.
Temperatures each day at Tabriz will soar to around the century mark, well above the 90 degrees that is more typical for the city this time of year. Temperatures will then drop into the mid-70s for the overnight hours.
AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski contributed to the content of this story.
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