Iran: Magnitude-5.0 earthquake occurs in South Khorasan Province Oct. 31

A magnitude-5.0 earthquake occurred in South Khorasan Province in eastern Iran at around 12:43 Oct. 31. The epicenter was about 103 km (64 miles) south-southeast of Birjand. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 10 km (6 miles), and moderate-to-light shaking was probably felt near the epicenter, as well as light shaking throughout parts of eastern Iran and far western Afghanistan. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake, and significant damage is unlikely. It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Light aftershocks are likely over the coming days.

Officials may temporarily shut down transportation infrastructure in the tremor zone to check for damage. Minor disruptions could occur during shutdowns, but service will likely resume quickly if no damage is found. Utility outages are possible, particularly near the earthquake's epicenter.