Dozens injured as earthquake hits southwestern Iran

TEHRAN

At least 43 people in Iran have been injured and several properties destroyed in an earthquake that shook the country’s southwestern Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province on Wednesday night, local authorities said on Thursday.

According to the Institute of Geophysics of Tehran University, the epicenter of the 5.6 magnitude earthquake, which occurred at 10:55 p.m. local time (1925GMT), was some 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) east of the provincial capital Sisakht, where it inflicted the maximum damage.

The strong tremors were felt in many neighboring provinces, including Isfahan and Shiraz, officials said.

The footage shared online showed piles of rubble in Sisakht, which is considered an earthquake-prone city.

According to local officials, electricity and water supply had been cut off in the area following the earthquake, which has now been gradually restored.

Local residents, who spent the night in open areas, reported multiple after-shocks throughout the night.

Immediately after the earthquake on Wednesday night, relief and medical teams were dispatched to the affected areas and injured were shifted to nearby hospitals, officials said.

The relief and rescue operations being led by Iran's Red Crescent Society continue.

Iran is located in a seismically active zone, and the country has seen many catastrophic earthquakes in the past.