Strong Earthquakes Struck Southern Iran, Causing Damage In Dubai
Two powerful earthquakes, the greatest of which was a magnitude 6.4, occurred near Bandar Abbas in southern Iran, demolishing many homes and killing at least one person, according to local officials and residents. Dubai, Qatar, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia all felt the tremors.
The first earthquake, which occurred at 3:37 p.m. local time on Sunday (1207 GMT), was centered 64 kilometers northwest of Bandar Abbas, Hormozgan Province’s capital, or 278 kilometers north of Dubai. A minute later, a second earthquake struck the same location.
Strong Earthquakes Struck Southern Iran
The first earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.4, according to Iran’s Seismological Center, while the second was somewhat weaker at 6.3. Both earthquakes occurred roughly 15 kilometers beneath the surface, making them quite shallow.
According to the ISNA news agency, “a few” of homes around the epicenter were demolished, and landslides were observed at Geno Mountain, but no widespread damage was reported. One person was murdered and at least 47 others were injured when a fallen electrical pole struck them.
“The situation in Hormozgan Province has been declared red,” the Iranian Red Crescent said in a statement. “Assessment teams have been sent to the region to estimate the possible damage.” Nearly 6,200 people reside within a 15-kilometer radius of the epicenter, according to the report.
The tremors were felt across the area, notably in the United Arab Emirates’ Dubai and Abu Dhabi, as well as Qatar, Bahrain, and parts of Oman and Saudi Arabia. In the UAE and other nearby nations, there were no reports of major damage.
The USGS estimates that 20 million people could have been affected by the earthquakes, with 33,000 people reporting “strong” to “very intense” shaking. Casualties are expected, although the damage will be “very confined,” according to the report.
Iran is located on multiple main fault lines and is subjected to moderate and powerful earthquakes on a regular basis. Because of inadequate construction, even little earthquakes have frequently resulted in significant damage and large numbers of casualties.
A 6.6-magnitude earthquake struck near the city of Bam in southeast Iran in December 2003, killing 31,000 people and wreaking havoc on the region. The country’s worst earthquake, which killed an estimated 200,000 people, occurred in the year 856.
