美国有线新闻 CNN 两伊边境大地震遇难人数升至450人 伊朗死伤惨重（在线收听）

CARL AZUZ, CNN 10 ANCHOR: The Middle Eastern nation of Iran is observing three days of mourning after a major earthquake shook the region on Sunday.

That's our first story today on CNN 10. Thank you for watching.

There aren't many earthquakes each year that have a magnitude greater than 7.0. This one was magnitude 7.3. The U.S. Geological Survey says that makes it capable of considerable damage in every buildings and severe damage in structures that aren't well-built.

The tremors struck near Iran's western border with Iraq on Sunday night and it was felt hundreds of miles away, in countries like Pakistan and Turkey.

The quake's epicenter, the point on the earth surface directly above its focus was in a rural area, but it was only about 14 miles deep, which is considered shallow and potentially more destructive. An aid worker in the region says more than 500 villages were damaged.

Authorities in Iran and Iraq say at least 452 people were killed, the vast majority in Iran. And hundreds of others were injured.

Iranian government officials have told aid agencies and rescue workers to do everything they can to help the people who've been affected. The aftershocks that follow the quake shook people across the Middle East. This is the deadliest earthquake to hit worldwide this year. It's not the deadliest ever to hit Iran. Scientists say the country sits on a major fault line between plates and that some previous earthquakes have killed tens of thousands.