Two strong earthquakes occurred in southern Iran, killing at least one person, and panicked residents flooded the streets.
The head of the Iranian Earthquake Center, Esmaeil Bayramnejad (Esmaeil Bayramnejad) told national television that on Sunday afternoon, in an area near Geshm Island near the port city of Bandar Abbas, the two times were 6.4. The magnitude and 6.3 earthquakes are separated by one minute.
The tremors were felt in neighboring provinces, including Kerman, and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. In the next few hours, Iran reported multiple aftershocks.
When the victim was walking on a street in Bandar Abbas, a telephone pole fell on him, killing him. Videos on social media also show that parts of Geno Mountain in Bandar Abbas are collapsing.
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Emergency officials told national television that so far, there have been no reports of more casualties or extensive damage.
A young woman told national television: “We were working when we felt the building was shaking severely.” “We thought it would end soon, but it lasted about 30 seconds, so we ran out.”
According to reports, electricity and the Internet have been interrupted in the affected provinces, and fixed-line telephones have also been interrupted in some areas. Officials say they will reconnect soon.
President Ibrahim Raisi ordered an immediate cabinet meeting to discuss measures to ensure the safety of the affected areas. He also ordered his first vice president Mohammed Mokber to go to Hormozgan to personally assess the situation.
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It is horrifying that the earthquake happened the day after a senior deputy of the Tehran City Government announced that a large 13-hectare cemetery was being prepared to house the victims of a potentially deadly earthquake in the capital.
For years, experts have been warning that Tehran is close to the fault line and that a major earthquake may one day occur.
