11 August 2012 Last updated at 23:57 ET
Rescuers in Varzaqan worked through the night, searching for survivors
Rescuers in Iran are searching through the rubble of collapsed buildings for survivors from two strong earthquakes which left at least 220 people dead.
The 6.4 and 6.3 quakes struck near Tabriz and Ahar on Saturday afternoon, and more than 1,500 are believed injured in outlying villages.
Thousands have been spending the night in emergency shelters or in the open.
Relief agencies are trying to provide the survivors with tents, bread and drinking water.
Reports say phone lines to many villages have been cut off, making rescue efforts harder.
"The quake has created huge panic among the people," one resident of Tabriz told the BBC. "Everyone has rushed to the streets and the sirens of ambulances are everywhere."
The towns of Haris and Varzaqan in East Azerbaijan province in north-western Iran were among those that suffered casualties, Khalil Saei, local crisis committee chief, told state TV, according to the Associated Press.
'My family is terrified'
The injured have been taken to hospitals in the region, in some cases being treated outside
Dozens of rescue workers have been sent to the region, but relief efforts have been limited overnight. Phone communication in the city of Tabriz has also been disrupted, reports say.
An Iranian Red Crescent official estimated that 16,000 people have been given emergency shelter after they were forced to leave their homes.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's office posted a statement on its website expressing condolences to those in the disaster zone and calling on authorities to "mobilise all efforts to help the affected populations," the AFP news agency reports.
A provincial official has warned people in the region to stay outdoors overnight because of the risk of aftershocks.
"My family is really terrified. It is night time now but we cannot sleep," Tabriz resident Amina Zia told the BBC.
"This earthquake was... very strong and violent.
"There were around 10 aftershocks, which lasted a total of 10 minutes."
The two earthquakes came within minutes of each other, according to seismology experts at Tehran University.
Iran straddles a major geological fault like, making it prone to seismic activity. In 2003 an earthquake in the city of Bam left 25,000 people dead.
Rescuers in Iran are searching through the rubble of collapsed buildings for survivors from two strong earthquakes which left at least 220 people dead.
The 6.4 and 6.3 quakes struck near Tabriz and Ahar on Saturday afternoon, and more than 1,500 are believed injured in outlying villages.
Thousands have been spending the night in emergency shelters or in the open.
Relief agencies are trying to provide the survivors with tents, bread and drinking water.
Reports say phone lines to many villages have been cut off, making rescue efforts harder.
"The quake has created huge panic among the people," one resident of Tabriz told the BBC. "Everyone has rushed to the streets and the sirens of ambulances are everywhere."
The towns of Haris and Varzaqan in East Azerbaijan province in north-western Iran were among those that suffered casualties, Khalil Saei, local crisis committee chief, told state TV, according to the Associated Press.
'My family is terrified'
Dozens of rescue workers have been sent to the region, but relief efforts have been limited overnight. Phone communication in the city of Tabriz has also been disrupted, reports say.
An Iranian Red Crescent official estimated that 16,000 people have been given emergency shelter after they were forced to leave their homes.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's office posted a statement on its website expressing condolences to those in the disaster zone and calling on authorities to "mobilise all efforts to help the affected populations," the AFP news agency reports.
A provincial official has warned people in the region to stay outdoors overnight because of the risk of aftershocks.
"My family is really terrified. It is night time now but we cannot sleep," Tabriz resident Amina Zia told the BBC.
"This earthquake was... very strong and violent.
"There were around 10 aftershocks, which lasted a total of 10 minutes."
The two earthquakes came within minutes of each other, according to seismology experts at Tehran University.
Iran straddles a major geological fault like, making it prone to seismic activity. In 2003 an earthquake in the city of Bam left 25,000 people dead.