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A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck the southern province of Bushehr Will, according to information released by the country’s state television this Sunday (18). The region is home to a nuclear power plant, but the quake was centered 100 km away from the site and was relatively shallow – only 10 km deep.
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A government official told Reuters that there were no reports of damage to the Bushehr nuclear complex on the Iranian Gulf coast.
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The quake hit mainly the city of Rig. Hospitals in neighboring cities and provinces were on alert. Rescuers and about 50 ambulances were dispatched to the area, a regional official told state television.
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At least two people were injured in Gonaveh and were being taken to hospital, the head of the University of Medical Sciences in Bushehr, Saeed Kashmiri, told state media.
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Iranian media reported six aftershocks and posted photos showing crumbling clay brick walls in some villages.
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Criss-crossed by major geological faults, Iran is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. In 2003, a 6.6 magnitude earthquake in Kerman province killed 31,000 people and devastated the ancient city of Bam.
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Archive image, 10 November 2019, shows the Iranian flag at Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant – Photo: Atta Kenare / AFP
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Bushehr nuclear power plant
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The Bushehr nuclear power plant produces 1,000 megawatts. It was built by Russia and started operating in September 2013.
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In 2016, Russian and Iranian companies started building two 1,000-megawatt reactors in Bushehr. The work is expected to take about ten years.
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VIDEOS: International News
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