Significant M5.8 earthquake hits northern Iran
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M5.8 hit the Turkey-Iran border region at 10:08 UTC on January 18, 2023. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). EMSC is reporting M5.6 at a depth of 2 km (1.2 miles). The Seismological Center of the University of Tehran is reporting M5.4 at a depth of 12 km (7.4 miles).
The epicenter was located 15.5 km (9.6 miles) S of Khowy (population 175 370), 28 km (17.4 miles) NNE of Salmās (population 81 606), 54 km (33.5 miles) S of Qarah Ẕīā’ od Dīn (population 31 937), 73.2 km (45.5 mi) W of Marand (population 123 191) and 96.3 km (59.8 miles) N of Orūmīyeh (population 577 307), West Azerbaijan, Iran.
30 000 people are estimated to have felt very strong shaking, 293 000 strong, 215 000 moderate and 2 981 000 light.
The USGS issued a Yellow alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. Some casualties and damage are possible and the impact should be relatively localized. Past yellow alerts have required a local or regional-level response.
Estimated economic losses are less than 1% of the GDP of Iran.
Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are a mix of vulnerable and earthquake-resistant construction. The predominant vulnerable building types are adobe block and dressed stone/block masonry construction.
Recent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards such as landslides that might have contributed to losses.
At least 70 people were injured trying to escape to safety and more than 300 houses in 15 villages were damaged, officials from the area said.
Estimated population exposure to earthquake shaking
Selected cities exposed
Regional seismicity
Featured image credit: TW/SAM, Google
If you value what we do here, create your ad-free account and support our journalism.
Your support makes a difference
Dear valued reader,
We hope that our website has been a valuable resource for you.
The reality is that it takes a lot of time, effort, and resources to maintain and grow this website. We rely on the support of readers like you to keep providing high-quality content.
If you have found our website to be helpful, please consider making a contribution to help us continue to bring you the information you need. Your support means the world to us and helps us to keep doing what we love.
Support us by choosing your support level – Silver, Gold or Platinum.
Other support options include Patreon pledges, one-off payments using PayPal and purchasing products from our webshop.
Thank you for your consideration. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Teo Blašković
Commenting rules and guidelines
We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules:
We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these rules. By commenting on our website, you agree to abide by these guidelines. Thank you for helping to create a positive and welcoming environment for all.