A third earthquake in less than six weeks has hit Iran, killing at least three people and injuring 21. The 5.9-magnitude quake hit the city of Damghan in northern Iran, 175 miles east of Tehran, late Friday night. Fifteen villages were reportedly damaged.

Earthquake-prone Iran suffered a 5.7-quake on July 30. Some 300 people in northeastern Iran were injured at the time. Ten days earlier, a 5.8-earthquake hit the south of the country, killing at least one and injuring 32. Hundreds of homes were damaged in both.

Experts have warned that Iran’s propensity for earthquakes, its non-strict building codes, and the fact that several of its nuclear facilities are situated near densely-populated urban areas could have catastrophic consequences for Iran, its neighbors, and world oil prices. Experts estimate that an average of one serious tremor hits the country every day.

Seven years ago, 26,000 people were killed by a 6.6-magnitude quake in the historic city of Bam in southeastern Iran.
(IsraelNationalNews.com)