A strong earthquake rocked Iran's northern provinces by the Caspian Sea on Friday. At least 23 people were killed.
Officials at Tehran University seismological center said the quake had a magnitude of 5.5 and its epicenter was in the village of Baladeh, some 70 kilometers northeast of Tehran, in Mazandaran province close to the Caspian Sea, the center said.
The earthquake shook buildings in Tehran.
Iranian TV said the quake shook eight provinces in central and northern Iran, with an epicenter in Sari, the provincial capital of Mazandaran province, near the Caspian Sea.
It was felt about 112 miles away in the capital, where windows shattered and panicked residents rushed outdoors, the TV report said.
The quake was fairly shallow at 16.2 miles deep, making it more dangerous, said U.S. Geological Survey spokesman Butch Kinerney.
"Fairly shallow means you're not going to have as much rock between you and the surface to absorb the actual shaking, so your buildings are more at risk," Kinerney said.
"We don't have any reports of damage yet but that doesn't mean its not coming. Given the magnitude and the proximity to a major urban center, the potential for damage is strong." (Albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
