Magnitude 5 quake strikes near Iran nuclear plant, no damage

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – A magnitude 5 earthquake struck southern Iran early on Friday near the Islamic Republic’s only nuclear power plant. Iranian state TV said it caused no damage or injuries.

The quake hit Iran’s Bushehr province at 5:23 a.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It put the magnitude at 5.1 and the depth of the temblor at 38 kilometres (24 miles).

The report by Iran’s state television put the quake’s magnitude at 4.9. Earthquakes around magnitude 5 can cause considerable damage but the Bushehr nuclear power plant was designed to withstand much stronger earthquakes.

Iran sits on major fault lines and is prone to near-daily earthquakes. In 2003, a 6.6-magnitude quake flattened the historic city of Bam, killing 26,000 people. Bam is also near the Bushehr nuclear plant, which wasn’t damaged at that time.