42 injured as quake hits southeast Iran

ankara — A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.0 struck southeastern Iran on Friday, injuring at least 42 people and destroying several homes in an area where most people live in villages of mud-walled homes. State media said no deaths had been reported.

Rescue workers, special teams with sniffer dogs and units of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and Basij militia forces were sent to the quake-hit areas in Kerman province, Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency said.

State TV said many residents rushed out of houses in Kerman city and nearby villages and towns, fearing more tremors after some 51 aftershocks following the 6.32am quake.

“The quake destroyed some houses in 14 villages but so far there has been no fatalities,” a local official told state TV. “Fortunately no deaths have been reported so far.”

The quake struck less than three weeks after a magnitude 7.3 earthquake hit villages and towns in Iran’s western Kermansheh province along the mountainous border with Iraq, killing 530 people and injuring thousands of others.

The US Geological Survey said

Heavy damage in Hojedk town

Friday’s quake, at first reported as magnitude 6.3, was centered 58km northeast of Kerman city, which has a population of more than 821,000. The quake was very shallow, at a depth of 10km, which would have amplified the shaking in the poor, sparsely populated area.

Head of Relief and Rescue Organisation of Iran’s Red Crescent Morteza Salimi told state television that at least 42 people were injured. Iran’s state news agency Irna said most of those hurt had minor injuries. — Reuters