250 injured after strong earthquake hits Iran near border with Iraq

by Joseph Saraceno

equakeA powerful earthquake struck early Monday in western Iran, injuring at least 250 people in a region near the border with Iraq.

Local authorities said they fear the quake may have caused widespread destruction in rural areas.

The 6.2-magnitude earthquake hit at a depth of around 10 kilometers (6 miles) in an area 36 kilometers southeast of the Iranian city of Abdanan, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was followed by a series of aftershocks. MORE