Iran: 5.5-magnitude earthquake leaves 79 injured in Kerman July 23 /update 2

Event

A 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck near Sirch (Kerman province), close to the city of Kerman and some 1100 km (685 mi) south of Tehran, on the morning of Monday, July 23 (local time), leaving at least 79 people injured. Several aftershocks have since been reported. Additional earthquakes and aftershocks are possible in the area in the coming hours and days.

Context

A 5.9-magnitude earthquake also struck Kermanshah province, near the Iraqi border, on July 22, leaving at least 287 people injured and causing structural damages to some buildings in the area. Earlier in the day, two earthquakes struck southern Hormozgan province, resulting in some material damages but no casualties.

Iran is located in a highly active seismic zone and earthquakes are common. Notably, in November 2017 a 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck near the Iran-Iraq border, leaving at least 620 people dead and thousands of others injured.

Advice

Individuals present in the affected regions are advised to be prepared for aftershocks and to adhere to any instructions issued by local authorities.

In the event of aftershocks, individuals are advised to protect themselves as much as possible from falling debris if indoors (e.g. under a table), to move away from windows, and to not attempt to leave the building unless there is an immediate danger. If outdoors, move away from tall buildings, utility wires, and streetlights.