ALIABAD, Golestan Province—According to the U.S. Geological Survey, a 5.4 magnitude quake occurred close to Qarnābād Saturday morning.

A tremor hit the area at 21:37 UTC (01:07 local time). The earthquake’s epicenter was situated about 31 km east of Qarnābād and occurred at a depth of 10 km.

Did you feel it?

You can let the USGS know if you noticed the quake by filling out their Felt Report form. So far, the agency has collected 8 online responses from individuals reporting that they felt the tremor. The USGS DYFI report indicates that several people in and around the Emamshahr area experienced weak to light shaking during the earthquake.

Impact and estimated losses

Green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. There is a low likelihood of casualties and damage. Recent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards such as landslides that might have contributed to losses.

Structure information summary
Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though resistant structures exist. The predominant vulnerable building types are adobe block and unreinforced brick with mud and timber post construction.

Historical information
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake 268 km northeast of this event struck Garmkhan, Iran on February 4, 1997 (UTC), with estimated population exposures of 253,000 at intensity VI and 9,000 at intensity VII, resulting in a reported 100 fatalities.

Qarnābād shaken twice last week

In the past week, there have been two quakes, greater than magnitude 2.5, centered in the region. Both measured 4.6 maginude and were registered in the same area. One of them struck one days ago, and the other on July 15.

Source: The U.S. Geological Survey