Iran earthquake: Tremors felt in Shiraz, other parts of Fars; no injuries yet

A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck Fars province in southern Iran on Monday, Iranian state TV reported. There were no fatalities, but there was structural damage to homes in the area of the quake, which hit near the town of Khane Zenian, the head of emergency services for Fars province said, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.

Assessment teams have been dispatched to the quake site, which is not a very populous area, the head of rescue for Iran's Red Crescent, Morteza Salimi, told state TV.

Posts on social media said that the earthquake had been felt by residents of the provincial capital Shiraz, approximately 50 km (30 miles) away from the epicenter.

Real-time earthquake info provider also confirmed the earthquake although it put the preliminary magnitude at 5.2.

M5.2 #earthquake (#زلزله) strikes 25 km NW of #Shīrāz (#Iran) 17 min ago. Effects reported by eyewitnesses: pic.twitter.com/KSlKtWGOcU

— EMSC (@LastQuake) January 27, 2020

According to EMSC, the earthquake was felt in Shiraz and nearby cities.

Iran sits where two major tectonic plates meet and experiences frequent seismic activity. The country has suffered a number of major disasters in recent decades, including at the ancient city of Bam, which was decimated by a catastrophic earthquake in 2003 that killed at least 31,000 people.

(With inputs from agencies.)