Quake felt 70 km from Iranian nuclear plant

Japan Herald (IANS) Sunday 5th February, 2012

An earthquake measuring 5 on the Richter scale was felt some 70 km from Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant, the US Geological Survey reported Sunday. There were no reports of any casualties or damage to the nuclear power plant, which is expected to go online March 20.

The earthquake, which struck at 06.10 GMT, had its epicentre recorded at a depth of 10 km.

The plant's construction began in 1975 by German companies. However, the firms stopped work after a US embargo was imposed on high-technology supplies to Iran following the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the subsequent US embassy siege in Tehran.

Russia signed a contract with Iran in February 1998 to complete the plant.

Iran had witnessed its deadliest temblor in June 1990, which measured 7.7 points on the Richter scale. About 37,000 people were killed and more than 100,000 injured in the northern provinces of Gilan and Zanjan. The quake devastated 27 towns and about 1,870 villages, IRNA news agency said.

--IANS/RIA Novosti

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