Iran’s nuclear reactor site in Bushehr again hit by quake

The Iranian government reported an earthquake of 5.7 on the Richter Scale in the Bushehr province. The government reported casualties but did not say whether the 1,000 megawatt reactor was damaged.

“So far, there are seven dead and 30 injured receiving hospital treatment,” Iranian emergency response chief Hassam Qadami said.Qadami said the earthquake, felt in neighboring Saudi Arabia, took place along the Gulf coast on Nov. 28. The epicenter of the earthquake was reported to be located some 60 kilometers from Bushehr, which began full operations in 2013. Other reports placed the epicenter at 48 kilometers from Bushehr.

This marked the second earthquake near Bushehr. In April, a major
earthquake that killed 37 people was said to have forced a shutdown of the
Russian-built reactor, sparking fears of a radiation leak throughout the
Gulf.

Russia’s state-owned contractor, Rosatom, has stated that Bushehr
was designed to resist a major earthquake.