Deadly earthquake in Iran

At least eight people have been killed and scores injured when a 5.6 magnitude earthquake struck Borazjan, Iran on Thursday evening.

Iranian president Hassan Rohani has issued a statement offering his condolences and appealing for emergency workers to get involved in the relief effort. Medical workers and tent hospitals have already been deployed to the affected zones.

Reports said many residents of Borazjan and nearby towns and villages poured into streets out of fear. The quake was felt in neighboring provinces. Earlier reports on social media in Saudi Arabia suggested that it was felt in the kingdom’s eastern province, across the Gulf from Iran.

Iran’s sole nuclear power plant in Bushehr is situated about 70 kilometers away from the quake’s epicentre.

The executive manager of the Bushehr power plant said its structure is strong enough to resist even magnitude 8 earthquakes.

Iran sits on major geological faultlines and has suffered several big earthquakes in recent years. Les