5.7 magnitude quake hits southern Iran

5.7 magnitude quake hits southern Iran
Poor village homes struck by large quake. / Iran Telegram user: Kpach1
By bne IntelliNews July 8, 2019

A 5.7 magnitude earthquake has struck Iran’s southern Khuzestan province, killing several people and injuring others, IRNA reported on July 8.

Iran suffers from several temblors annually, however, in recent months seismic activity in the country has increased with several quakes occurring in the west of the country in the majority Kurdish areas.

USGS, the US monitoring system, confirmed the quake some 28km from Masjed Soleyman, at a depth of 10 kilometres underground. The quake struck early on July 8 at just after 7:00 am, the USGS noted.

The area where the quake occurred is sparsely inhabited, however, it is also home to several manmade lakes including the Karun Dam Lake.

Last August a major quake hit near the Iranian city of Kermanshah, killing two people and wounding 241.

In November 2017, a 7.3-magnitude quake struck villages and towns in Kermanshah province, along the mountainous border with Iraq, killing at least 530 people and injuring more than 12,000 in the middle of the night. Entire districts of towns were wrecked. It was recorded as Iran’s deadliest earthquake in more than a decade.

Iran sees frequent seismic activity. In 1990, a 7.4-magnitude quake in northern Iran killed 40,000 people, injured 300,000 and left half a million homeless.

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