TEHRAN (Dispatches) – An earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale hit Iran’s northeastern province of North Khorasan on Monday morning, damaging houses and injuring at least 14 people.
The earthquake rocked Sankhast town at 3:34 am local time, followed by at least 17 relatively strong aftershocks.
The quake has damaged dozens of houses in villages.
Director of the Iranian Red Crescent Society’s provincial office said at least 14 people have suffered injuries in the incident.
Rescue and relief teams have been deployed to the area.
Local official Gholamreza Mehrjou said water, electricity and internet have been restored to villages in the quake-hit area and people who had taken to the streets in fear of more tremors “have returned to their homes.”
Five people were injured in Genaveh and were being taken to hospital, Saeed Kashmiri, head of the Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, was quoted as saying by state media.
Iran is one of the most seismically active countries in the world, being crossed by several major fault lines that cover at least 90% of the country.
The deadliest quake in Iran’s modern history happened in June 1990, devastating many areas in the northern province of Gilan and killing around 37,000 people.
In 2003, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake in the province of Kerman flattened the historic city of Bam, killing more than 26,000 people.