6.2 magnitude earthquake hits southeastern Iran: seismological centre

Author: AFP/Web Desk

A 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck Iran’s southeastern province of Kerman on Tuesday, the Iranian seismological centre reported, though media reported minimal damage.

A woman was taken to hospital for injuries in the town of Ravar, and old houses in six villages were damaged, Fars news agency quoted the country’s emergency services chief as saying an hour after the quake.

It struck at 12:13 pm (0843 GMT) with the epicentre near the town of Hejdak, some 50 kilometres (31 miles) north of the provincial capital of Kerman and about 800 kilometres from Tehran.

It was measured as magnitude 5.9 by the US Geological Survey and several smaller aftershocks were reported.

Schools were closed in some areas of the province, a local news agency reported.

Iran sits on several faultlines, and Tuesday’s quake comes less than a day after a 6.0-magnitude tremor struck the western province of Kermanshah along the border with Iraq.

On November 12, Kermanshah was hit by a major 7.3-magnitude quake that killed 620 people according to the latest toll provided Monday another local news agency.

Iran’s worst quake in recent years struck near the city of Bam in 2003, which saw the ancient city decimated by a 6.6-magnitude tremor that killed at least 31,000 people.

In 1990, a 7.4-magnitude quake in northern Iran killed 40,000 people, injured 300,000 and left half a million homeless, reducing dozens of towns and nearly 2,000 villages to rubble.

Iran has experienced at least two other major disasters in recent years — one in 2005 that killed more than 600 people and another in 2012 that left some 300 dead.

Share
Leave a Comment

Recent Posts

  • Business

PSX registers second highest single-day gain

The 100-Index of the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed bullish trend on Monday, gaining 4,411.27…

2 hours ago
  • Business

SCCI president highlights CPEC as a game-changer for Pakistan

President Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), Fazal Moqeem Khan has termed the China-Pakistan…

2 hours ago
  • Business

Rupee sheds 15 paisa against dollar

The Pakistani rupee on Monday depreciated by 15 paisa against the US dollar in the…

2 hours ago
  • Business

Gold prices remain unchanged at Rs273,400 per tola

The price of 24 karat per tola gold remained unchanged at Rs 273,400 on Monday,…

2 hours ago
  • Business

SECP reasserts compliance by listed firms to publish gender pay gap data

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has announced that despite extensive advocacy and…

2 hours ago
  • Business

Commerce minister, Kenya’s envoy explore new horizons in trade ties

Federal Minister for Commerce, Jam Kamal Khan, and the Kenyan High Commissioner met Monday to…

2 hours ago