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

A tremor hit the area at 21:37 UTC (01:07 local time). The earthquake’s epicenter was situated approximately 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 experienced the quake by filling out their Felt Report form. The agency has received 10 responses on its online form so far, from people saying they felt the tremor. According to the USGS DYFI report, weak to light shaking was detected and people in cities like Emamshahr and Aliabad reported experiencing 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 hit twice past week

Last week, two earthquakes exceeding magnitude 2.5 were registered in the same region. Both quakes measured 4.6 in magnitude, with one occurring one days earlier and the other on July 15.

Source: The U.S. Geological Survey