Quake hits Iran villages, injuring at least 110
Posted: 31 July 2010 0210 hrs

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TEHRAN: A 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck Iran's northeast on Friday, injuring at least 110 people, damaging villages and disrupting communications, media reports said citing officials.

The quake hit at 6.21 pm (1351 GMT) between the cities of Baygh and Torbat-Heydarieh, and was felt in other surrounding towns, the head of Khorasan Razavi province's emergency services was quoted as saying by ISNA news agency.

"Damage and casualties have been reported," Javad Erfanian said, adding "the earthquake disrupted communication networks."

Efforts were under way to recover people who were still trapped under debris, while most of the injured were treated without being hospitalised, the reports said.

Provincial governor Mojtaba Sadeghian said that "the number of injured has risen to 110 people" three hours on from the temblor, up from an earlier toll of around 30 victims.

"One (victim) is in serious condition... nine were hospitalised and 100 people were treated" overall, Sadeghian said in a report by the state news agency IRNA, adding the region suffered "serious damage."

"People are stuck under the rubble and the possibility of more victims is great," he added.

The earthquake damaged "between 50 and 100 percent of some villages," provincial official Bahram Soltani was quoted as saying earlier by ISNA.

- AFP/de