Breaking News: 6.3 Mag Earthquake Near Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Power Station

• published: 09 Apr 2013
• views: 3857

A 6.3 magnitude earthquake has struck in south-west Iran, not far from the country's only nuclear power station, the US Geological Survey (USGS) says. Initial reports on state media say three people have died. Posts on social media in the region said people felt the quake across the Gulf in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain. Iran's nuclear programme has roused concern among major powers that Tehran wants to build nuclear weapons - a charge Iran strongly denies. The USGS said the quake struck at 11:52 GMT at a depth of 10km (6.2 miles), some 90km from Bushehr city, near to the power plant. Iran's seismological centre in Bushehr province, linked to Tehran University, registered a 6.1 magnitude quake close to the town of Kaki, some 60 miles south of Bushehr. More than five aftershocks have been felt so far, the strongest measuring a magnitude of 5.4. The Russian contractor which built the Bushehr plant says it has not been affected by the earthquake, says Russian news agency Interfax. Staff at the complex felt the jolts but continue to work as usual, while radiation levels have not changed, an unnamed Atomstroyexport official told Interfax. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22077834 http://rt.com/news/iran-bushehr-quake-nuclear-562/ http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/index2.php http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/usb000g2y5#summary UPDATE: (Reuters) - A powerful earthquake struck close to Iran's only nuclear power station on Tuesday, killing 32 people and injuring 850 as it destroyed homes and devastated two small villages, Iranian media reported. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/09/us-iran-quake-idUSBRE9380HA20130409 Iran opens 2 uranium mines, yellowcake plant: Iran says it has increased its nuclear capability by starting production of yellowcake, or raw uranium, at a new facility. The Iranian government announced on Tuesday that it had opened 2 uranium mines on the outskirts of Yazd city in central Iran and activated a yellowcake plant at Ardakan. It says the country is now capable of producing more than 60 tons of yellowcake annually. Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in a speech on Tuesday that the world's powers tried their utmost to prevent it, but Iran has gone nuclear. The United States and European countries are increasing their criticism of Iran's continued uranium enrichment. They suspect that Iran is trying to produce nuclear weapons. Iran says its atomic program is for peaceful purposes. Iran and 6 powers had 2 days of talks in Kazakhstan last week but failed to reach a breakthrough. Iran's latest move is expected to draw criticism from the United States, European countries and Israel. The News That Matters about the Nuclear Industry http://nuclear-news.net/