At least 250 people were killed and over 1,800 injured as two powerful earthquakes rocked northwestern Iran, Fars news agency reported Sunday
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A quake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale struck Ahar city in the East Azerbaijan province at 4.00 p.m. Saturday, flattening homes and buildings in a wide area.u00a0
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Almost an hour later, another quake with magnitude 6 hit Varzaqan in the same province, causing more destruction.u00a0
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"(At least) 250 people have been killed and more than 1,800 have been injured," said Iran's Deputy Interior Minister Hassan Qaddami.
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Thousands were forced to remain outdoors following at least 35 aftershocks. Authorities said a total of 110 villages have been affected.u00a0
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The deadliest quake in Iran was in June 1990 when a 7.7-magnitude tremor killed some 37,000 people and left over 100,000 injured in the northwestern provinces of Gilan and Zanjan.
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