Consecutive quakes hit SE Iran

Three consecutive earthquakes have rattled Iran’s southeastern province of Kerman but there has been no official report of casualties or damages.

A 6-magnitude earthquake hit the city of Mohammadabad at 12:08 p.m. local time (0838 GMT) on Thursday for the third time, according to the Iranian Seismological Center, IRNA reported.

The epicenter of the tremor was in an area located 25.28 degrees in latitude and 07.59 degrees in longitude.

The first tremor measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale struck Mohammadabad at 10:32 a.m. local time (0702 GMT) on the same day at 26.28 degree northern latitude and 99.58 degree eastern longitude.

Another quake with the magnitude of 4.0 on the Richter scale hit the city at 10:48 a.m. local time (0718 GMT) on Thursday at 25.28 degree northern latitude and 03.59 degree eastern longitude.

Iran is located on major seismic fault lines, causing the country to often experience on average one earthquake per day.

In December 2003, a 6.6-magnitude quake hit the city of Bam in Kerman Province, killing 25,000 people and wounding at least 31,000 others. The Bam quake is considered the most destructive earthquake in the country’s recent history.