Iran has appealed for foreign help to deal with the aftermath of the deadly twin earthquakes that hit it last weekend after initially claiming it was not needed.

Overcrowded hospitals in northwest Iran struggled to cope with earthquake victims yesterday as rescuers raced to reach remote villages after two quakes killed nearly 300 people and injured about 5,000.

Rescuers ended the search today for survivors of twin earthquakes in north-western Iran that killed at least 250 people and injured more than 2,600 a day earlier, state television reported.

At least 87 people have been killed in a 6.2-magnitude earthquake in north-western Iran, according to state television.