Damage reported after moderate earthquake rattles southern Iran

Damage reported after moderate earthquake rattles southern Iran

2011-01-05 16:10:12 GMT+7 (ICT)

KAZERUN, IRAN (BNO NEWS) -- Some damage was reported after a moderate earthquake rattled southern Iran on Wednesday morning, seismologists and state-run media said, but there were no immediate reports of casualties.

The 5.3-magnitude earthquake at 9.25 a.m. local time (0555 GMT) was centered about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Ardakan, a town in south Iran's Fars Province. It struck about 19 kilometers (11 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake, according to the Iranian Seismological Center.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) measured the strength of the earthquake at 5.4 on the Richter scale, slightly stronger than Iran's estimate. The USGS measured the depth of the quake at 10 kilometers (6.2 miles).

The state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported that residents in the region fled their homes and offices in panic when the quake happened. Although some damage was being reported as a result of falling objects and breaking glass, there were no reports of injuries.

Earthquakes, even light and moderate ones, often cause heavy damage and severe casualties in certain parts of the country due to poor construction, especially when they hit during the night when most residents are sleeping.

Most recently, on December 20, at least seven people were killed and hundreds more were injured when a strong 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck 16 kilometers (9.9 miles) from the town of Hosein abad in Kerman Province, in southeastern Iran.

Other recent earthquakes include a light 4.9-magnitude quake on November 6 that rattled western Iran, approximately 17 kilometers (10 miles) from Dorood in Luristan Province. It struck about 5 kilometers (3 miles) deep, leaving 119 people injured.

And on August 27, two young children were killed and more than a dozen others were injured when a moderate 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck 76 kilometers (47 miles) from Damghan, a city in the country's Semnan Province.

Before that, in November 2009, a light 4.9-magnitude earthquake struck the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas, injuring more than 700 people.

In 2003, on December 26, around 31,000 people were killed and more than 30,000 others were injured when a strong 6.6-magnitude earthquake struck near Bam. It left the area devastated with 85 percent of buildings damaged or destroyed in Bam.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-01-05