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Iran

Southeastern Iran Hit By Another Moderate Earthquake; 23 Reported Injured

In Tehran and other cities and towns, the quake sent panicked residents into the streets and parks.
1/14 In Tehran and other cities and towns, the quake sent panicked residents into the streets and parks.
A 5..2-magnitude earthquake struck near the Iranian capital, Tehran, late on December 20, killing one person and injuring nearly 100 more despite causing only minor damage. But tens of thousands of people spent the night outside, bracing for aftershocks.
Authorities asked residents to remain calm but said to be prepared for possible aftershocks.
2/14 Authorities asked residents to remain calm but said to be prepared for possible aftershocks.
A 5..2-magnitude earthquake struck near the Iranian capital, Tehran, late on December 20, killing one person and injuring nearly 100 more despite causing only minor damage. But tens of thousands of people spent the night outside, bracing for aftershocks.
Some residents set up tents to spend the night outside and lit fires.
3/14 Some residents set up tents to spend the night outside and lit fires.
A 5..2-magnitude earthquake struck near the Iranian capital, Tehran, late on December 20, killing one person and injuring nearly 100 more despite causing only minor damage. But tens of thousands of people spent the night outside, bracing for aftershocks.
Gasoline purchases in the six hours after the earthquake reached 10 million liters, more than double the average full-day sales even though it was the middle of the night, the national fuel distributor said.
4/14 Gasoline purchases in the six hours after the earthquake reached 10 million liters, more than double the average full-day sales even though it was the middle of the night, the national fuel distributor said.
A 5..2-magnitude earthquake struck near the Iranian capital, Tehran, late on December 20, killing one person and injuring nearly 100 more despite causing only minor damage. But tens of thousands of people spent the night outside, bracing for aftershocks.
But not everyone stocked up on essential supplies.
5/14 But not everyone stocked up on essential supplies.
A 5..2-magnitude earthquake struck near the Iranian capital, Tehran, late on December 20, killing one person and injuring nearly 100 more despite causing only minor damage. But tens of thousands of people spent the night outside, bracing for aftershocks.
Some Tehran residents found refuge in their cars and sought safer ground or just ran their engines for warmth in the cold conditions.
6/14 Some Tehran residents found refuge in their cars and sought safer ground or just ran their engines for warmth in the cold conditions.
A 5..2-magnitude earthquake struck near the Iranian capital, Tehran, late on December 20, killing one person and injuring nearly 100 more despite causing only minor damage. But tens of thousands of people spent the night outside, bracing for aftershocks.
Iran lies on a plateau that is highly susceptible to tectonic activity. Hundreds of people were killed in a November earthquake on the Iran-Iraq border that is still fresh in people's minds.
7/14 Iran lies on a plateau that is highly susceptible to tectonic activity. Hundreds of people were killed in a November earthquake on the Iran-Iraq border that is still fresh in people's minds.
A 5..2-magnitude earthquake struck near the Iranian capital, Tehran, late on December 20, killing one person and injuring nearly 100 more despite causing only minor damage. But tens of thousands of people spent the night outside, bracing for aftershocks.
Schools, universities, and government offices would be closed in Tehran, Alborzn, and Qom provinces on December 21, state television said.
8/14 Schools, universities, and government offices would be closed in Tehran, Alborzn, and Qom provinces on December 21, state television said.
A 5..2-magnitude earthquake struck near the Iranian capital, Tehran, late on December 20, killing one person and injuring nearly 100 more despite causing only minor damage. But tens of thousands of people spent the night outside, bracing for aftershocks.
9/14
A 5..2-magnitude earthquake struck near the Iranian capital, Tehran, late on December 20, killing one person and injuring nearly 100 more despite causing only minor damage. But tens of thousands of people spent the night outside, bracing for aftershocks.
10/14
A 5..2-magnitude earthquake struck near the Iranian capital, Tehran, late on December 20, killing one person and injuring nearly 100 more despite causing only minor damage. But tens of thousands of people spent the night outside, bracing for aftershocks.
11/14
A 5..2-magnitude earthquake struck near the Iranian capital, Tehran, late on December 20, killing one person and injuring nearly 100 more despite causing only minor damage. But tens of thousands of people spent the night outside, bracing for aftershocks.
12/14
A 5..2-magnitude earthquake struck near the Iranian capital, Tehran, late on December 20, killing one person and injuring nearly 100 more despite causing only minor damage. But tens of thousands of people spent the night outside, bracing for aftershocks.
13/14
A 5..2-magnitude earthquake struck near the Iranian capital, Tehran, late on December 20, killing one person and injuring nearly 100 more despite causing only minor damage. But tens of thousands of people spent the night outside, bracing for aftershocks.
People started slowly returning to their homes again early on December 21. 
14/14 People started slowly returning to their homes again early on December 21. 
A 5..2-magnitude earthquake struck near the Iranian capital, Tehran, late on December 20, killing one person and injuring nearly 100 more despite causing only minor damage. But tens of thousands of people spent the night outside, bracing for aftershocks.
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An earthquake of magnitude 5.2 rocked Iran's southeastern province of Kerman on December 21 and at least 23 people were injured, state TV said, only a day after two people were killed by a similar tremor near Tehran.

Rescue teams were dispatched to the town of Kuhbanan, the epicenter of the latest quake, officials said. No deaths were reported.

"Electricity has been cut off in the town.... Some houses were damaged," a local official told state TV.

The semiofficial ILNA news agency said many residents rushed out of houses in Kuhbanan, fearing more tremors after several aftershocks followed the quake, which hit three hours before midnight local time.

"I am urging people to remain calm. The weather is so cold and we need tents.... Still, we don't have a clear idea about possible fatalities and the exact number of wounded people," Kuhbanan's police chief Mohsen Seifouri told the semiofficial Fars news agency.

Another local official said there were no casualties.

"Several rescue teams are in the quake-hit area and fortunately we had no casualties," the deputy head of Kerman Province's crisis management headquarters, Mostafa Ayatollahi-Mousavi, told the semiofficial Tasnim news agency.

Several strong quakes hit Kerman Province on December 12, leaving dozens of people injured and damaging houses.

On December 20, a quake of magnitude 5.2 struck a town near Tehran, killing an elderly woman and a young girl and injuring nearly 120 people.

Iran is crisscrossed by several major geological fault lines and is one of the world's most quake-prone countries. In 2003, a magnitude 6.6 quake in Kerman Province killed 31,000 people and flattened the ancient city of Bam.

Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters
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