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

A tremor struck the area at 21:37 UTC (01:07 local time). The earthquake’s epicenter was located approximately 29 km east of Qarnābād and occurred at a depth of 10 km.

Did you feel it?

Those who felt the quake are encouraged to report it via the USGS Felt Report form. So far, the agency has collected 10 online responses from individuals reporting that they felt the tremor. According to the USGS DYFI report, weak to light shaking was registered and residents in cities like Emamshahr and Aliabad reported feeling 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 271 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 hit twice past week

Over the last week, there have been two quakes above magnitude 2.5, both centered in the same region. Each registered a magnitude of 4.6 — one shook one days ago, and the other on July 15.

Source: The U.S. Geological Survey