38 Killed as Quakes Destroy Villages

Two earthquakes struck several villages, killing at least 38 people and injuring more than 90, Iranian television reported. A magnitude 5.4 quake hit the villages of Quchan, Shirvan, Sabzevar and Neyshabur in the northeastern Khorasan province at 1:24 p.m. Forty minutes later, a magnitude 6.1 quake hit the area, Iranian television and the Islamic Republic News Agency reported. State-run television said the villages were destroyed. The town of Bojnurd, 350 miles northeast of Tehran, the capital, was also rocked by the quakes, the official news agency said. The Interior Ministry said it set up a relief operation there and sent helicopters to help in rescue efforts. Tremors were also felt for several seconds in Mashhad, the provincial capital, 450 miles east of Tehran.