London - An earthquake of magnitude 5.2
struck a town near the Iranian capital Tehran on Wednesday
night, state media reported, but there were no initial reports
of casualties or significant damage.
Authorities said they were gathering information about the
quake, which hit in late evening, at a depth of seven
kilometres, and asked residents to remain calm but be prepared
for possible aftershocks.
The epicentre of the quake was three kilometres from the
city of Malard, and seven from Meshkin Dasht which lies 50 km
(30 miles) west of Tehran, state news agency IRNA said.
The quake was also felt in Qazvin, Qom, Gilan and Markazi
provinces, according to state media.
"There have been no reports of casualties or damage," Behnam
Saeedi, a spokesman for Iran's National Disaster Management
Organization, was quoted as saying by the semi-official ILNA
news agency.
In Tehran and other cities, residents flooded into streets
and parks, fearing a stronger aftershock. Some set up tents to
spend the night outside, and lit fires.
Last month, a 7.3-magnitude earthquake hit villages and
towns in Iran's western Kermanshah province along the
mountainous border with Iraq, killing 620 people and injuring
thousands of others.