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300+ Killed In Powerful Iran-Iraq Earthquake, Keeps Climbing

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- Rescue operations are underway in Iraq and Iran after a powerful earthquake struck overnight.

In Iran, more than 340-people have been killed and at least seven are dead in Iraq with more than 6,000 people injured in both countries.

Rescuers worked around-the-clock to find survivors trapped under heavy rubble and buildings that buckled in the aftermath of the 7.3 magnitude earthquake on the Iran-Iraq border.

Amina Mohammed lives in one of the hardest hit areas in eastern Iraq.

She says, "We could see the house collapsing behind us and hear things falling."

In the mountains of western Iran, hospitals are packed with the dead and wounded.

Once of the patients is a boy who says, "a wall turned over and fell on me."

Another man said he remembered a window shattering and cutting him on his face and hand.

The earthquake struck just after 9 p.m. Sunday and sent people scrambling to escape.

A live interview on Iraqi TV was cut short when a visibly-shaken guest made a run for it.

More than 100-aftershocks followed the earthquake.

Neighboring Turkey quickly dispatched emergency workers as well as truckloads of food, blankets, and heaters to Iraq and said it is ready to send aid to Iran, if requested.

More than 70,000 people are now in urgent need of shelter in both countries just as winter approaches.

Iran sits on many major fault lines.

In 2003, a 6.6 magnitude earthquake there killed more than 26,000 people.

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