At least 450 people killed in powerful 7.3 magnitude earthquake hit on Iran-Iraq border

A powerful 7.3 magnitude earthquake near the Iraq-Iran border killed at least 450 people across both countries, authorities said. The powerful earthquake sent residents fleeing their homes into the night and was felt as far away as the Mediterranean coast. 

According to official tallies, 445 Iranians were confirmed dead as of Monday afternoon. Over 7,156 others were also injured.

Iran's western Kermanshah province bore the brunt of the tremor Sunday night. Kermanshah is a rural, mountainous region where residents rely mainly on farming. 

The highest casualties occurred in the town of Sarpol-e Zahab in Kermanshah Province. The



town sits in the Zagros Mountains that divide Iran and Iraq. Sarpol-e-Zahab residents said the power and water were out and telephone and cellphone lines were spotty.

In Iraq, the earthquake killed at least seven people and injured 535, all in the country's northern Kurdish region, according to Iraq's Interior Ministry. 

The quake was centered 31 kilometers South of the eastern Iraqi city of Halabjah, according to the most recent measurements from the US Geological Survey. It struck at 9:18 pm Iran time, just as people began retiring for the night. 

It could be felt on the Mediterranean coast, some 1,000 kilometers away.