Iran hit by twin earthquakes

Two devastating earthquakes in northwest Iran killed around 180 people and injured hundreds on Saturday as rescue teams were striving to dig survivors out of the rubble. In this picture a man carries the body of a child after finding it in the rubble of a house in Sourmah village, near the town of Varzaqan.

The US Geological Survey reported that the first quake had a magnitude of 6.4 and struck 37 miles (60 kms) northeast of the city of Tabriz at a depth of 9.9 kms (6.2 miles). Its epicentre was a region between the towns of Ahar and Haris, about 200 miles (500 kms) northwest of the capital Tehran.

The quakes hit the towns of Ahar, Haris and Varzaqan in East Azerbaijan province. At least six villages were totally levelled, and 60 others sustained damage ranging from 50 to 80 per cent.

Iranian residents and rescue workers search for survivors in the rubble of a house in a village, near the town of Varzaqan. Thousands of people spent the night outdoors as aftershocks rattled the area.

An Iranian man holds the body of his nephew after taking him out of the rubble in Sourmah village, near the town of Varzaqan.

At least 10 aftershocks jolted the same area and were felt in a wide region near the Caspian Sea, causing panic among the population. In this picture, the covered body of an Iranian woman lies on the ground in Sourmah village, near the town of Varzaqan.

Iran is located on seismic fault lines and is prone to earthquakes. It experiences at least one earthquake every day on average, although the vast majority are so small they go unnoticed. In 2003, some 26,000 people were killed by a magnitude 6.6 quake that flattened the historic south-eastern city of Bam.