Magnitude 5.6 earthquake strikes northwestern Iran

By Hamdi Celikbas

ANKARA (AA) – An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.6 struck Khoy city in West Azerbaijan province of northwestern Iran, close to the Turkish border.

The Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said on its website that the quake shook the region at 03.21 a.m. local time (2351GMT).

The quake occurred at a depth of seven kilometers (4.34 miles) and was felt in Türkiye’s southeastern provinces of Van and Hakkari.

There have been no reports so far of fatalities or damage.

Iran is located in a seismically active zone and has seen many catastrophic earthquakes in the past.

The most devastating quake to hit the country in recent history came in 2013, when at least 34,000 people died in the city of Bam in southeastern Kerman province. The quake measured 6.7 on the Richter scale.