Strong quake jolts southern Iran

Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 30 By Umid Niayesh - Trend: A strong earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale jolted Shonbeh city in southern province of Bushehr on Dec. 30, Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported. According to the seismography center affiliated to Tehran University Geophysics Institute, the tremor occurred at 7:49 local time (GMT +4:30 hours), with epicenter at 51.79 degrees latitude and 28.62 degrees longitude at a depth of 10 kilometers underground. Reportedly, the earthquake inflicted damage to houses in the city, however there was no immediate report on the possible casualties. Last year, an earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale occurred in Bushehr province, where Iran's only nuclear power plant is located, leaving 37 dead and 850 injured. Iran sits astride several major faults in the earth's crust and is prone to frequent earthquakes, many of which have been devastating. The deadliest quake in the country was in June 1990 and measured 7.7 on the Richter scale. About 37,000 people were killed and more than 100,000 injured in the northwestern provinces of Gilan and Zanjan. It devastated around 27 towns and 1,870 villages. Follow the author on Twitter: @UmidNiayesh Follow us on Twitter @TRENDNewsAgency