5.4 earthquake jolts southwestern Iran; 10 injured
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An earthquake of 5.4 magnitude struck the province of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad in southwestern Iran on late Wednesday, injuring at least 10, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) reported.
The tremor caused electricity and water shortage and caused damage to residential units, the state news agency IRNA stated.
The quake hit at a depth of 30 km beneath the epicentre near Yasuj, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad at 9:35 PM local time, according to EMSC. The Tehran University's Geophysics Institute reported the quake at 5.6 magnitude at a depth of 10 kilometres depth at the epicentre.
"People in Sisakht and the town of Yasuj left their homes in panic. Water and electricity have been cut off in Sisakht. Rescue teams and ambulances have been dispatched to the area. So far, ten people have been injured," said an official, as quoted by Iran International.
Destructive earthquakes frequently hit Iran as it is located in a seismically active zone being crossed by several major faults. In 1990, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake in the northwestern provinces killed at least 37,000 people, injured 3,00,000 and left half a million homeless.