5.1-Magnitude Earthquake Jolts Iran, EMSC Reports

Iran is situated in a seismically active zone, so it periodically faces tremors of various strength. Earlier this month, a 5.1-magnitude earthquake hit a large part of Iran, including the Tehran Province in the northern areas of the country.

The number of those injured in an earthquake in southwestern Iran has increased to 16, the country's emergency medical service said on Sunday.

"One person has been treated on the spot, other 15 have been sent to medical centres," the medical service said in a statement, adding that everyone has received medical aid and all patients have already been discharged.

All patients are said to have gotten injured while trying to flee the earthquake.

Earlier in the day, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) reported a 5.1-magnitude earthquake in the country. 

M5.0 #earthquake (#زلزله) strikes 24 km NE of Do Gonbadān (#Iran) 13 min ago. Effects reported by eyewitnesses: pic.twitter.com/Ch4C34gEXW

— EMSC (@LastQuake) May 24, 2020

The last strong earthquake hit the country in early May. The tremors caused deep cracks to appear in the walls of the centuries-old Falak-ol-Aflak fortress built during the Sassanid era in the western province of Lorestan.

Iran is known for frequent earthquakes, as 90 percent of the country’s territory is at the crossing of several major faults, making it particularly seismically active.