Six dead in earthquake in eastern Iran
An earthquake measuring 5.5 in magnitude struck eastern Iran on Wednesday, killing six people and injuring 25 others, Iran’s news agency Mehr reported, citing crisis management director of South Khorasan province, Mohammad Ali Akhundi.
People fled their homes as the quake struck and brought walls and buildings down. But others were left trapped under rubble in villages across the district of Zohan in South Khorasan province, Fars news agency said.
Iran is criss-crossed by major fault lines and has suffered several devastating earthquakes in recent years, including a 6.6 magnitude quake in 2003, which flattened the southeastern city of Bam and killed more than 25,000 people.
In August, more than 300 people were killed when two quakes struck northwestern Iran.