On Nov. 13 a deadly earthquake rocked the Iraqi and Iranian border. The earthquake reached a 7.3 on the Richter Scale. It killed more than 400 people and left about 7,000 injured. These casualties caused the the earthquake to be stated as the deadliest earthquake of 2017.

When the earthquake struck, at around 10:00 PM Iran time, it hit the Kurdish border near the city of Halabja. The earthquake was more deadly than the 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Mexico, which caused about 369 injuries and deaths. Thousands of people were left homeless after the natural disaster.

“This earthquake’s really important because it was the deadliest earthquake of 2017,” Meredith Sims said.

The Iran-Iraq earthquake is the deadliest since 2003, when a 6.6 magnitude earthquake caused the death of about 26,000 people. The epicenter was located near the cities of Halabja and Darbandikhan.

Up to 14 provinces were damaged by the earthquake and security footage showed stores and buildings being affected. A particular video circulating around social media shows a grocery store’s shelves being cleared with items falling from their places as the customers run for cover. People who felt the earthquake could be seen fleeing through the streets to reach Baghdad, the capital of Iraq.The Iraqi prime minister, Haider al-Abadi, tweeted that he would instruct health and aid agencies and civil defense teams to provide assistance to those affected by the earthquake.

Due to this tragedy, many citizens of Iran-Iraq have stepped up to help others affected by the earthquake. Many donated blood after the natural disasters.

“I think it was really good that they stepped up and helped, I applaud that,” Sims said.

Still others travelled to cities near the border to help by volunteering. Search crews were joined by citizens to sift through the rubble searching for survivors, and to recover bodies.

“I think natural disasters are really sad,but I’m glad that people were able to step up and help and be supportive of their neighbors,” Sims said.

The thousands of people displaced from the earthquake will continue to search for homes and shelters to stay in while the rubble left is cleared. The earthquake will result in thousands of people being affected, remaining the deadliest of 2017.