Update: 'Quakes kill 250, injure 2,000 in Iran' [PressTV]

At least 250 people have been killed and over 2,000 others injured in two powerful earthquakes and subsequent aftershocks that rocked Iran's northwestern province of East Azarbaijan. On Saturday, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck the city of Ahar, near the provincial capital Tabriz, at 15:53 local time (1123 GMT). The quake struck 60 kilometers (37 miles) northeast of Tabriz at a depth of 9.9 kilometers (6.2 miles).

Another quake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale jolted Varzaqan and Haris, which are located near Ahar, 11 minutes later at a similar depth. The epicenter of the quake was 49 kilometers (30 miles) northeast of Tabriz. Twelve villages in Varzaqan have been completely destroyed by the earthquake and about 60 others have been partially destroyed.