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Nature and Environment

Iran earthquake rocks capital, kills one

May 8, 2020

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake jolted Iran's capital, Tehran, and nearby areas in the early hours of Friday, forcing many people to flee buildings. At least one person has been killed, with several injured.

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A man carries a child in the street during an earthquake in Tehran
Image: picture-alliance/ZUMAPRESS/R. Fouladi

An earthquake near Tehran early Friday morning killed one person and injured at least seven others, a spokesman for Iran's Health Ministry reported on Twitter. He urged people to remain calm and follow safety guidelines. 

The center of the earthquake was south of Mount Damavand, near the city of Damavand, around 55 kilometers from Tehran. The mountain is volcanic, and at 5,761 meters (18,900 feet), is Iran's highest peak. The US Geological Survey said the quake struck at a depth of 10 kilometers. 

Iran is situated on top of major tectonic plates and experiences frequent seismic activity. The country's worst earthquake was a magnitude 7.4 in 1990. It claimed 40,000 lives and injured 300,000 people.

An earthquake in the western village of Habash-e Olya on February 23 killed at least nine people across the border in neighboring Turkey.

In December and January, two earthquakes hit near Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant.

tg/dr (AFP, dpa)

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