Iran: 5.9 magnitude earthquake kills at least 5, injures 120

Tehran: An emergency official says a magnitude 5.9 earthquake in northwestern Iran has killed at least five people and injured 120 others.

Pirhossein Koulivand told state TV about the deaths and injuries early Friday morning.

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The quake hit at 2:20 a.m. Friday in Iran's East Azerbaijan province. It says the temblor occurred at a depth of 2 kilometers (1.2 miles).

The US Geological Survey puts the quake's magnitude at 5.8 at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles).

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Shallow earthquakes tend to cause more damage.

Iran is located on major seismic faults and experiences one earthquake a day on average. In 2003, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake flattened the historic city of Bam, killing 26,000 people.

(AP)