Series of tremors near Tehran renews concerns over major quake risk

The tremors person been felt successful an country adjacent to the Mosha fault, 1 of Iran’s astir progressive seismic zones.

A bid of 9 tiny earthquakes struck the Pardis country eastbound of Tehran overnight, Iran’s Mehr quality bureau reported connected Wednesday, renewing fears among experts and residents that the Iranian superior could look a large seismic disaster.

The repeated enactment has revived concerns that accumulated tectonic unit beneath and astir the capital, which lies adjacent to respective progressive responsibility lines, could astatine immoderate constituent successful the aboriginal trigger a overmuch larger earthquake.

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While tremors successful the country are frequent, it is acold little communal for respective to hap successful succession.

The tremors, recorded implicit a azygous nighttime successful eastbound Tehran province, were felt successful an country adjacent to the Mosha fault, 1 of Iran’s astir progressive seismic zones.

The fault, astir 150km (93 miles) successful length, is 1 of the large progressive faults of the country, located astir 40km (25 miles) from the capital.

No casualties oregon damage

State media reported that the magnitude of 1 of the earthquakes was 4.6, but the mild seismic enactment did not origin casualties oregon worldly damage.

Semi-official Mehr quality bureau quoted seismologist Mehdi Zare arsenic saying it was not wide whether the tremors represented a merchandise of built-up seismic vigor that would trim aboriginal hazard oregon alternatively were informing signs of stronger aboriginal enactment on the responsibility strategy adjacent Tehran.

Zare warned that Tehran’s vulnerability is amplified not lone by progressive responsibility lines but besides by dense municipality development, colonisation attraction and constricted preparedness.

He said adjacent comparatively tiny earthquakes tin origin disruption successful the superior owed to fragile infrastructure and congestion, complicating exigency response.

Tehran, a metropolitan country of much than 14 cardinal people, lies adjacent large progressive faults, including the North Tehran, Mosha and Rey.

Iranian experts person repeatedly warned that a large earthquake adjacent Tehran could person catastrophic consequences.

Iran is among the world’s astir quake-prone countries, and memories stay vivid of the 2003 Bam earthquake, which killed much than 30,000 people.