Earthquake hits southern Iran
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 21
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
An earthquake measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale shook the Shabankareh district in the southern province of Bushehr in Iran on May 21.
The tremor occurred at 14:16 local time, according to the report of the seismography center affiliated with Tehran University Geophysics Institute, Iran's IRNA news agency reported.
The earthquake's epicenter was located at 50.83 degrees longitude and 29.61 degrees latitude.
There was no immediate report on possible casualties or damage.
Iran sits astride several major faults in the earth's crust and is prone to frequent earthquakes, many of which have been devastating.
The deadliest quake in the country was in June 1990 and measured 7.7 on the Richter scale.
About 37,000 people were killed and more than 100,000 injured in the northwestern provinces of Gilan and Zanjan. It devastated around 27 towns and 1,870 villages.