Strong earthquake rattles Bushehr, where an Iranian nuclear power plant is located

A magnitude 5.9 earthquake on Sunday struck Iran’s southern province of Bushehr, where a nuclear power plant is located, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage, state television reported.

A government official told Reuters that there were no reports of damage at the Bushehr nuclear complex.

“The quake hit the Bandar Gonaveh area in the province this morning. There are no reports of damage yet,” state TV reported, adding that rescue teams had been dispatched to the area.

It said the depth of the quake was 10 km (6 miles), though gave no further details.

Crisscrossed by major fault lines, the Islamic Republic is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. In 2003, a magnitude 6.6 quake in Kerman province killed 31,000 people and flattened the ancient city of Bam.