At Least 6 Dead, More than 300 Injured after Iran Is Struck by 5.9 Magnitude Earthquake

A magnitude 5.9 earthquake rocked Iran early Friday morning leaving at least six people dead and more than 300 injured.

According to U.S. and World Report News, some 250 miles northwest of the nation’s capital of Tehran, the seismic activity began at 2:17 am. 

Reportedly, as residents in Eastern Azerbaijan began to feel the ground below them shaking, many ran in fear. There were over 40 aftershocks felt rural Alborz Mountains region.

According to the Associated Press, so far, six people have been killed as a result of the quake, and around 312 have reported being injured. Iranian state television reports that many of the injuries were not, however, directly caused by the earthquake, but by the rush of frantic people attempting to flee to safety. Of the 312 injured, so far, only 13 had injuries substantial enough to be transported to a hospital.

Additionally, 30 homes were completely destroyed by the quake.

On average, Iran experiences one earthquake per day as it is located on “major seismic faults” the AP reports. In 2017 Iran experienced a significant earthquake that left more than 600 people dead and 9,000 injured. That earthquake was a magnitude 7. In 2003, the Middle Eastern country experienced a devastating quake that killed 26,000 people. The magnitude 6.6 earthquake leveled the city of Bam. Even worse, in 1990, the country was struck by a magnitude 7.4 earthquake that claimed the lives of between 35,000 and 50,000 people and injured between 60,000 and 105,000.

The U.S. Geological Survey identified Friday’s quake’s epicenter as shallow, noting that it occurred at a depth of 6.2 miles or 10 kilometers below the surface. Reportedly, shallow earthquakes are more likely to cause significant damage.

Officials shared on state television that rescue crews have been dispatched in the area to offer aid to survivors.

Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Sir Francis Canker Photography