An earthquake of high proportions hit the border region of Iran and Iraq on July 12 about 32km from the city of Halabjah,
At least 530 people are already counted among the dead. Most in Iran. The quake was so violent that it was even felt in Israel and Saudi Arabia.
In Iran, the worst hit region was Kermanshah. In the town of Sarpol-e Zahab, about 15 km from the border with Iraq, the main hospital was badly damaged. The populations of Ghasr Shirin (on the border), Sarpul and Azgale are among the most affected.
The pictures show cities of the two countries that felt the quake and part of the destruction that took some cities.
The worst recent earthquake in the region was in 1990: a 7.4 earthquake in northern Iran, near the Caspian Sea, left 40,000 dead and more than 300,000 injured, plus half a million homeless.
In a few seconds, an area of 2,100 square kilometers was devastated, with 27 cities and 1,871 villages in the provinces of Ghilan and Zandjan