5.2-magnitude quake shakes SW Iran; injuries reported

By Ahmet Dursun

ANKARA

A 5.2-magnitude earthquake shook southwestern Iran early Wednesday, reportedly injuring dozens of people.

According to a statement issued by Tehran University’s Seismology Center, the quake’s epicenter was near the city of Sisakht, located some 700 kilometers (about 430 miles) south of capital Tehran in the Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad province at 08:38 a.m. local time.

Iranian state television has reported that at least 76 people were injured, including two in critical condition.

Rescue efforts remain underway amid fears of more casualties.

Iran, which sits on several major fault lines, is frequently rattled by earthquakes. Last November, a 7.2-magnitude quake killed more than 600 people in the country’s western region.

Reporting by Ahmet Dursun:Writing by Mahmoud Barakat