Iran sends aid to earthquake-hit Turkey

Iran sent on Monday humanitarian aid to its neighbor Turkey, where the death toll from a powerful earthquake on Sunday has increased to 279. The consignment, sent from Iran's northwestern border city of Khoy to Turkey, includes blanket, bottled water, bread, fuel, mats, medicine and tents, according to the official IRNA news agency. In addition, over 10 people injured during Sunday's earthquake were transferred from the Turkish province of Van, where the epicenter was located, to Khoy for treatment. Some Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi, have sent condolences to Turkey over the disaster. The 7.2-magnitude tremor in Turkey was felt in the Iranian provinces of West Azerbaijan and East Azerbaijan Sunday afternoon, local residents told Xinhua. The Iranian state IRIB TV website said Sunday the Turkish earthquake caused damage to the buildings in the Chaldran city in West Azerbaijan bordering Turkey. Telephone communication was also disrupted in Chaldran and its vicinity. Similar to its neighbor Turkey, Iran, sits astride several major fault-lines in the earth's crust, and is prone to frequent earthquakes.