At least four individuals lost their lives and 120 were injured on Tuesday due to a 4.9 magnitude earthquake that struck the northeastern Iranian city of Kashmar, according to state media. The earthquake occurred at 1:24 pm (0954 GMT), as stated by Kashmar's governor, Hajatollah Shariatmadari, who provided the casualty figures on state television. Shariatmadari also mentioned that 35 people were admitted to hospitals, and the quake primarily affected old and dilapidated structures in both urban and rural parts of the city. State television broadcasted scenes of the earthquake's aftermath, showing emergency responders in a street where buildings had been completely demolished. The United States Geological Survey reported that the earthquake's epicenter was 10 kilometers (six miles) deep. Iran, located on multiple tectonic plates, frequently experiences earthquakes. A 5.9 magnitude earthquake in the early part of the previous year resulted in three fatalities and over 800 injuries in the country's mountainous northwest, close to the border with Turkey. In one of the most catastrophic events globally, a 6.6 magnitude earthquake in 2003 claimed the lives of over 31,000 people in Iran's southeastern city of Bam.
Text: Lara Palmer
18.06.2024
Earthquake in Kashmar damages mostly old buildings; Iran frequently hit by seismic activity.