Iran: Earthquake - Jan 2023

According to the Iranian Seismological Center, a 5.4 magnitude earthquake hit Firoragh village in Khoy City in West Azarbayejan province of North-Western Iran on 18 January 2023 at 13:19 p.m. local time at a depth of 12 km. At 13:19 p.m., a 3.6 magnitude earthquake struck the same location. So far, twenty-one aftershocks have been recorded, with the largest being 4.2 at 18:25 p.m. The nearest village, Vaar, is 10 kilometers away from the epicenter. An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.4 that struck the same region on 5 October 2022, left 1,308 people injured. The most severely affected village during the last earthquake was Morteza Gholi Kendi, which is located in Khoy City. One province and one city (55 villages) make up the affected area, which has a total of about 10,284 households (41,426 people). In Khoy City, the Firoragh district has been hardest affected. The tremor has been felt by residents of the cities of Salmas, Chaldoran, Chaypareh, Poldasht, and Uroumia. Due to active faults in numerous locations of the country, Iran is prone to several disasters, including earthquakes. The activated fault in this location that generated the earthquake is known as Siyah Cheshme-Khoy. (IFRC, 7 Feb 2022)

An earthquake of 5.6 M at a depth of 18 km occurred in far north-western Iran, near the border with Türkiye, on 24 March at 3:16 UTC (7:46 local time). The epicentre was located approximately 11 km south-west of the Khoy City (West Azerbaijan Province) and 45 km east of the border with far eastern Türkiye. USGS PAGER estimates that up to 196,000 people were exposed to strong shaking and up to 301,000 people to moderate shaking. Media report, as of 24 March, a number of damaged houses across villages nearby the epicentre, while there are no reports of damaged houses across the Khoy City. The earthquake was felt also across the neighbouring Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (southern Azerbaijan, bordering with northern Iran). (ECHO, 24 Mar 2023)

Based on the national seismological report, an earthquake of 5.9 magnitude on the Richter scale occurred at a depth of 7 km in Safa district, Khoy City on Saturday 28th January 2023 at 21:44 p.m, followed by 72 aftershocks, the greatest of which was 4.5 magnitude at 18:11 p.m the day after. Overall, 261,387 people were affected, 1,017 were injured and 3 died so far across 86 villages. Many urban residential buildings collapsed or were partially damaged in Safa district and Khoy City. Some residential buildings in 70 villages have been destroyed from 20 to 80 percent based on the governate general office of West Azarbayejan. The electricity and gas supply were cut in the affected region. The telecommunication means were disrupted in at least four villages namely Chavoshqoli, Asgarabad, Aland, and Kalvan. The severity of the situation was intensified by the heavy snowfall and zero-degree temperature. The fear of aftershocks hindered affected households from returning to their houses and they preferred to be settled in the 70 camps provided across the affected region by the Iran Red Crescent Society. (IFRC, 28 Mar 2023)