A 7.3-magnitude earthquake has rattled the northern border region between Iran and Iraq, killing at least 170 people and injuring more than 1,000.<\/p>\n
At least 164 people died in western Iran\u2019s Kermanshah province, officials told state media.<\/p>\n
Six more were reported dead in Iraq. The death toll is likely to rise.<\/p>\n
The earthquake sparked panic, with fears of aftershocks sending residents out into the streets.<\/p>\n
Mosques in the Iraqi capital Baghdad have been broadcasting prayers through loudspeakers.<\/p>\n
Most of the victims were in the town of Sarpol-e Zahab, about 15km (10 miles) from the border, Iran\u2019s emergency services chief, Pir Hossein Koolivand was quoted as saying on Iranian state television channel IRINN.<\/p>\n
The town\u2019s main hospital was severely damaged, leaving it struggling to treat hundreds of wounded, state TV reported.<\/p>\n
Damage was reported in at least eight villages, the head of Iran\u2019s Red Crescent Organisation, Morteza Salim, told the channel.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome other villages have suffered power cuts and their telecommunications system has also been disturbed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Rescue teams were being hampered by landslides, Mr Koolivand said.<\/p>\n
On the Iraqi side, the most extensive damage was in the town of Darbandikhan, 75km (47 miles) east of the city of Sulaimaniyah in the Kurdistan Region.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe situation there is very critical,\u201d Kurdish Health Minister Rekawt Hama Rasheed told Reuters news agency.<\/p>\n
The quake hit 19 miles (30km) southwest of Halabja, near the northeastern border with Iran, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.<\/p>\n
The occurred at a depth of 33.9 km (21 miles), and tremors were felt in Turkey, Israel and Kuwait. Iran sits across major fault lines and is prone to frequent earthquakes.<\/p>\n
Source: BBC<\/p>\n
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