A strong earthquake of 7.3-magnitude rattled the northern border region between Iran and Iraq, killing 100 people and leaving around 1000 injured. Iraqi officials said that the quake killed over 30 people in Sulaimaniyah province and injured much more, but the figures are likely to go up. State media of Iran said at least 61 people died in western Iran. <br/><br/>The earthquake sparked panic, with residents fleeing their homes for the streets. Mosques in the Iraqi capital Baghdad are airing prayers through loudspeakers. Iranian news channel IRINN has said rescue teams have been dispatched to western parts of the country. Morteza Salim, the head of Iran's Red Crescent Organisation said the damage has been reported in at least eight villages. The earthquake was felt in Turkey and Israel too.<br/>According to US Geological Survey (USGS), the quake struck on Sunday, 103 kilometres southeast of the Iraqi Kurdish city of Sulaymaniyah. The tremor, which was felt as far away as Qatar, struck late last night. Its epicentre was at a depth of 33.9 km. The quake and its aftershocks have been felt in many Iranian provinces. The quake has also been felt in other regional countries such as Turkey, Kuwait, Armenia, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Bahrain.<br/>According to National Disaster Management Organization of Iran, power cuts and disruption of the internet service have been reported in Kermanshah Province while houses in some western Iranian villages have been damaged to various degrees. In 2003, a 6.6 magnitude earthquake flattened the historic city of Bam in south-eastern Iran, killing some 26,000 people.