At least 147 people were killed after a powerful earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale struck near the Iran-Iraq border, media reports said on Monday. The quake hit 30 km southwest of Iraqi town of Halabja at 9.20 p.m., on Sunday, near the northeastern border with Iran, CNN quoted the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.

An earthquake victim is helped at Sulaimaniyah Hospital in Sulaimaniyah, Iraq. Pic/AFP