Iran twin quakes death toll rises to 250

TEHRAN: At least 250 people died and more than 2,000 were injured by twin earthquakes that hit the Tabriz region in northwest Iran on Saturday, an official said.

Khalil Saie, head of Eastern Azerbaijan's Centre for Natural Disasters, said on state television that the toll could be even higher given the strength of the tremors.

The quakes, which struck Saturday within 11 minutes of each other, measured 6.2 and 6.0, according to Tehran University's Seismological Centre. Their epicentres were at Ahar and Varzeghan, about 60 kilometres (40 miles) from Tabriz.