TEHRAN: A strong earthquake of 6.2 magnitude hit southern Iran early yesterday, killing one child and injuring at least 20 others in remote, mountainous villages, state television reported.
The US Geological Survey registered the quake at 0208 GMT, measured at 85 kilometres southeast of the town of Minab, located in the southern Hormuzgan province and off the Strait of Hormuz.
The quake was registered at a depth of 36.44 kilometres, the USGS said.
A local emergency official said a two-year-old died of serious injuries. “The child passed away on route to hospital,” Mohammad Shekari was quoted by the ISNA news agency.
Iran’s top quake rescue operations official, Mahmoud Mozafar, said at least 20 people had been injured.
Iran sits astride several major fault lines and is prone to frequent earthquakes, some of which have been devastating.
Head of Iran’s National Institute for Oceanography Vahid Chegini said yesterday’s quake was unlikely to spark a tsunami in the Gulf or the Sea of Oman.
“The chances of a tsunami because of today’s quake are remote as the quake was inland,” Chegini told the Mehr news agency. AFP
