• A villager in Sayeh Khosh clears rubble after a powerful earthquake struck southern Iran early on Saturday. AP
    A villager in Sayeh Khosh clears rubble after a powerful earthquake struck southern Iran early on Saturday. AP
  • The village took the brunt of the 6.1-magnitude quake. AFP
    The village took the brunt of the 6.1-magnitude quake. AFP
  • A woman sits beside the ruins of her home. At least five people were killed and 19 injured. EPA
    A woman sits beside the ruins of her home. At least five people were killed and 19 injured. EPA
  • Rescue teams were sent to the village of about 300 people. AFP
    Rescue teams were sent to the village of about 300 people. AFP
  • The earthquake was followed by at least eight smaller tremors. AFP
    The earthquake was followed by at least eight smaller tremors. AFP
  • People sit among the rubble in the village in Iran's southern Hormozgan province. AFP
    People sit among the rubble in the village in Iran's southern Hormozgan province. AFP

At least five killed as earthquake strikes southern Iran


Simon Rushton
  • English
  • Arabic

A powerful earthquake hit southern Iran early on Saturday.

At least five people were killed and 44 injured, officials in Hormozgan province told Iranian state media.

The epicentre was 103 kilometres south-west of the port city of Bandar Abbas, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre said. It reported it as a 6.1 magnitude earthquake.

The UAE's National Centre of Meteorology reported a 6.3 magnitude quake.

At least eight subsequent tremors hit southern Iran, the European seismologists said.

Iran's state television reported that rescue teams were sent to a village near the epicentre, Sayeh Khosh, which is home to about 300 people.

Most of the damage occurred in the village, the Irna news agency was told by Hormozgan governor Mahdi Dosti.

The province lies on Iran's Gulf coast about 1,000 kilometres south of the capital, Tehran.

Social media users reported tremors were felt in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Residents in parts of the UAE felt tremors at 1.32am, the UAE's National Centre of Meteorology said.

It said the tremors did not cause any damage in the Emirates.

A resident of Dubai said she felt her bed moving and was scared to sleep after she felt the tremors.

One Twitter user said he felt the tremors twice in Umm Al Quwain and said they left him feeling dizzy.

Another user shared a video of the chandelier in his room gently swaying for a few seconds.

Another quake of 4.4 magnitude was recorded in southern Iran at 3.13am, followed by a 4.3 one at 5:14am, a 4.2 one at 6.51am and another 4.5 magnitude one at 7.29am, the NCM said.

A Twitter user in Sharjah said he felt the tremors for a second time at 3.30am. “It was more powerful compared to the previous one,” he tweeted.

Iran sits on two major tectonic plates and is prone to frequent and severe seismic activity.

Since May 31, a series of earthquakes have struck the same area of Iran and also been felt in the UAE.

One person was killed in November last year when Hormozgan province was hit by twin 6.4 and 6.3 magnitude quakes.

In 2003, a 6.6-magnitude earthquake destroyed the city of Bam, killing 26,000 people. In 2017, a magnitude 7 earthquake hit the border region between Iran and Iraq, killing 600 people and injuring more than 9,000.

The deadliest 7.4-magnitude quake hit northern Iran in 1990, killing 40,000 people and injuring 300,000. At least 500,000 were left homeless.

Since 1900, at least 126,000 people have died in Iran as a result of quakes.

F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:

Ajax 2-3 Tottenham

Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate

Final: June 1, Madrid

Suggested picnic spots

Abu Dhabi
Umm Al Emarat Park
Yas Gateway Park
Delma Park
Al Bateen beach
Saadiyaat beach
The Corniche
Zayed Sports City
 
Dubai
Kite Beach
Zabeel Park
Al Nahda Pond Park
Mushrif Park
Safa Park
Al Mamzar Beach Park
Al Qudrah Lakes 

Museum of the Future in numbers
  •  78 metres is the height of the museum
  •  30,000 square metres is its total area
  •  17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
  •  14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
  •  1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior 
  •  7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
  •  2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
  •  100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
  •  Dh145 is the price of a ticket

Manchester City transfers:

OUTS
Pablo Zabaleta, Bacary Sagna, Gael Clichy, Willy Caballero and Jesus Navas (all released)

INS
Ederson (Benfica) £34.7m, Bernardo Silva (Monaco) £43m 

ON THEIR WAY OUT?
Joe Hart, Eliaquim Mangala, Samir Nasri, Wilfried Bony, Fabian Delph, Nolito and Kelechi Iheanacho

ON THEIR WAY IN?
Dani Alves (Juventus), Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal)
 

The specs

Price: From Dh180,000 (estimate)

Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged and supercharged in-line four-cylinder

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 320hp @ 5,700rpm

Torque: 400Nm @ 2,200rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 9.7L / 100km

The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo 4-cyl

Transmission: eight-speed auto

Power: 190bhp

Torque: 300Nm

Price: Dh169,900

On sale: now 

Updated: July 02, 2022, 12:56 PM