Magnitude-6.4 earthquake shakes western Iran

A magnitude-6.4 earthquake hit Sar Pol Zahab city in Kermanshah Province in western Iran on Sunday, Iran's Seismological Center said.

The focus of the earthquake, which took place at 1637 GMT, lied at the depth of 7 km, 34.38 degrees north latitude and 45.70 degrees east longitude.

The earthquake was also felt in the neighboring provinces of Lorestan and Ilam and Kordestan as well as in the border areas of Iraq.

People in the cities of Sar Pol Zahab and Kermanshah rushed out in panic, staying outdoors in cold and rainy weather.

There were no reports of casualties or damage during the early hours after the earthquake.

The assessment teams are at the site of earthquake to study the possible damage, according to official IRNA news agency.

The rescue operators and helicopters were dispatched to the quake-hit regions.

At least 10 aftershocks, ranging from 3.4 to 5.2 magnitude, have shaken the region so far, according to Iranian Seismological Center.

In Novemver last year, 211 Iranians died in a magnitude-7.3 earthquake that hit the Iran-Iraq border in Sar pol Zahab area.