Large Earthquake Felt Across The Middle East

A powerful earthquake has struck near the border of Iran and Pakistan, with at least 45 people reported to have been killed.

The US Geological Survey said the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.8 - strong enough to cause damage to buildings.

Tremors were felt across the Middle East and as far away as the Indian capital New Delhi.

Iran's state-run Press TV said at least 40 people were killed, while a local health official told the Fars news agency that at least 20 villages are likely to have been "severely damaged".

However, a government official, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said he expected hundreds of deaths in what he described as "the biggest earthquake in Iran in 40 years".

Tremors were felt in Karachi, Pakistan, where office workers were evacuated

Meanwhile, a hospital spokesman in Pakistan said at least five people had been killed there, although national broadcaster Radio Pakistan put the death toll at 12.

The earthquake happened around 50 miles beneath the surface in an area prone to tectonic activity.

The remote, mountainous region is around 115 miles southeast of Zahedan, a city with a population of around 550,000.

Iran's Red Crescent Society, which has sent rescue teams to the area, said it was facing a "complicated emergency situation", with villages scattered over desolate hills and valleys.

High-rise buildings in Dubai were evacuated after the earthquake

Strong tremors were felt across the Gulf, where high-rise buildings swayed and officials ordered evacuations.

The National newspaper said buildings were cleared in Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, which is home to the world's tallest tower, the 828m Burj Khalifa.

The earthquake was also felt in New Delhi, where witnesses said tall buildings shook, sending people running into the streets.

Local TV channel NDTV said lights and equipment in its south Delhi studio shook for nearly a minute.

Dr Brian Baptie, head of earthquake seismology at the British Geological Survey, said: "This earthquake occurred in the great belt of earthquakes that stretches through the Middle East into central Asia that results from the collision of the northwards-moving Arabian and Indian tectonic plates with Eurasian tectonic plate to the north.

"Given the depth, the earthquake was probably a result of normal faulting within the Arabian plate as it is subducted under the Eurasian plate along the Makran coast of Iran and Pakistan."

The tremors came a week after a deadly 6.1 magnitude earthquake was recorded 60 miles southeast of Bushehr, the site of Iran's nuclear reactor.

On Boxing Day 2003, more than 26,000 people were killed when a 6.6 magnitude quake struck Bam.

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