Quakes cause widespread damage, injure 260 in western Iran
ABDANAN, IRAN (BNO NEWS) — A strong earthquake struck near the city of Abdanan in western Iran on early Monday morning, injuring at least 260 people and causing widespread damage in rural communities, authorities said late at night as a third tremor struck the region. There were no reports of fatalities.
The 6.2-magnitude earthquake at 07:02 a.m. local time (02:32 GMT) on Monday was centered about 4 kilometers (2.4 miles) from the town of Murmuri in Ilam Province, or about 35 kilometers (22 miles) southeast of Abdanan. It struck about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake, according to Iran’s Seismological Center.
The initial earthquake was followed by a series of dozens of aftershocks, including a 5.8-magnitude earthquake which struck the same area at 9:55 a.m. (0525 GMT), nearly three hours after the first quake. A third earthquake – also measuring 5.8 – struck late in the evening at 10:38 p.m. (1808 GMT).
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) estimated that some 4,000 people near the epicenter could have experienced “very strong” shaking from the initial earthquake, while some 292,000 others may have felt moderate to strong shaking. People in areas further away – including the provinces of Lorestan and Khuzestan – felt light shaking.
The Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) said the villages of Murmuri, Tape Hamame Oliya and Tape Hamame Sofla were the worst-hit areas, with up to 80 percent of houses damaged in some parts. At least 260 people were reported injured by late Monday, of which at least 12 required further treatment and were airlifted to hospitals in neighboring provinces.
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