Iran Earthquake with 6.2 Magnitude Hits: 1 Dead, Aftershocks Continue
Aftershocks continued to rattle the communities and residents of Iran's Bashagard City following the 6.2 magnitude earthquake that struck off Saturday, killing one child and injuring at least 20 others.
About 10 aftershocks have been detected since the quake struck at 6:38 a.m. local time, including one as big as a 5.6 tremor on early Sunday. The earthquake's epicenter was recorded 85 kilometres (52 miles) southeast of the town of Minab, located in the southern Hormuzgan Province off the Strait of Hormuz, an important trade point for the international oil market.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the tremors have a depth of 36.44 kilometers or 22.64 miles.
Water and power supply networks, including telephone connections, have been cut. At least six villages had been damaged. One of those injured was reported "not in a good condition and has been hospitalized."
Earlier, a small earthquake hit the province of Bushehr, where a Russian-built nuclear plant is located. It still continues to operate normally.
Much of Iran is prone to earthquakes, given its proximity to geological fault-lines.
A double earthquake, measuring 6.2 and 6.0, struck northwestern Iran in August 2012, killing more than 300 people and injuring 3,000.
In 2003, an earthquake hit and flattened the southern city of Bam, leaving 40,000 people dead. It likewise destroyed the city's ancient mud-built citadel.