Quake hits northern Iran

An earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale has struck northern Iran but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said that the epicenter of the earthquake, which happened on Friday night at 11:53 p.m. local time, was located in Semnan province about 285 kilometers (175 miles) east of Tehran and 105 kilometers (65 miles) east of the city of Semnan, which is the provincial capital.

However, the IRNA news agency reported that the quake had a magnitude of 5.9.

Residents of Tehran and many other cities in northern Iran felt the earthquake.