Eastern Iran was hit today, April 16, with an earthquake measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale.
According to the Iran Seismic Centre, the earthquake hit Saravan city in the eastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan at 3:14 PM, and so far one person has been reported dead.
Reports indicate that power is out in the region and citizens have left their homes to seek shelter in the streets and parks.
Mehdi Zareh, the head of the Iran Seismic Centre, described this earthquake as the biggest to hit Iran in the past 50 years. He added that aftershocks measuring as big as 6 on the Richter scale could follow for up to a year.
Emergency services have been dispatched to the region from the three neighbouring provinces of Kerman, Hormozgan and Southern Khorasan.
Saravan has population of 275,000 people, and the buildings in the region have reportedly sustained serious damage and destruction.
Reports indicate that the force of the quake was felt in several Persian Gulf region countries and in the UAE, according to some reports, and people were called on to evacuate high rise buildings.
