TEHRAN, Iran – Two strong earthquakes leveled villages and damaged homes in northwestern Iran on Saturday, killing at least 180 people and injuring more than 1,350 others, state TV reported. Thousands of people spent the night outdoors as aftershocks rattled the area.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported that Saturday's first quake at 4:53 p.m. local time had a magnitude of 6.4 and struck 37 miles northeast of the city of Tabriz at a depth of 6.2 miles. Its epicenter was a region between the towns of Ahar and Haris, about 200 miles northwest of the capital Tehran, according to Khalil Saei, local Crisis Committee chief, the TV report said.

The second quake with a magnitude of 6.3 struck 11 minutes later, the U.S.G.S. reported. Its epicenter was 29 miles northeast of Tabriz at a depth of 6.1 miles.