Second Earthquake In 24 Hours Hits Iran, Light Damage

A combo photo of damage caused by earthquake on December is seen in Ravar, Kerman province. File Photo

A 5.2-magnitude earthquake rocked southeastern Iran Thursday evening, less than 24 hours after a similar tremor killed one person in the capital Tehran.

Thursday's tremor hit the Kuhbandan region, 140 kilometers (90 miles) north of the provincial capital of Kerman, at 8:34 pm (1704 GMT), according to the University of Tehran's Iranian Seismological Center.

Two moderately strong earthquakes also hit the Kerman region on December 1.

Local media reported that the rural area faced power cuts but that damage was light and 23 people were injured. Rescue teams were sent to the area.

The epicenter of Wednesday's quake, also measuring around 5 magnitude, was just 40 kilometers (25 miles) west of the capital. It killed an elderly woman and a young girl in Tehran as well as injuring around 120 people.

Iran sits atop several fault lines, and this week's quakes are the latest in a series to have hit the country in recent weeks.

On November 12, the western province of Kermanshah was hit by a 7.3-magnitude quake that killed 620 people.

Reporting based on AFP, Iranian media