IRNA (Iran), AP, BBC
TEHRAN – By midday Wednesday more than 80 aftershocks had been registered in southwestern Iran following a 6.1 magnitude earthquake that killed at least 37 people and injured 850.
Twelve villages were completely destroyed by the quake, forcing thousands of terrified residents to spend the night in the open, according to BBC News.
Iranian officials said in a report quoted by the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) that Tuesday’s earthquake struck the town of Kaki, 60 miles (96km) southeast of Bushehr — a sparsely populated area on the Persian Gulf and home of Iran’s first nuclear plant, which is said not to have been damaged.
Iran is located on seismic faults and a frequent victim of earthquakes, AP reports.
The latest temblor was also felt across the Gulf in Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
