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Middle East and North Africa

Iran’s Bushehr power plant not affected by earthquake

Earlier reports said up to 30 percent of residential buildings in the area were damaged or destroyed

© EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH

MOSCOW, November 29. /ITAR-TASS/. The earthquake which struck Iran on Thursday did not affect its Bushehr nuclear power plant, which is operating routinely with normal background radiation, sources from the communications department of Russia’s Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation said.

“Radiation background does not exceed its natural figures. The plant continues operating at full capacity,” the sources said.

The quake, measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale, occurred in Bushehr Province, 60 kilometers from the plant. It killed seven people and injured 190. The event occured at a depth of 16.4 kilometres, 14 kilometres from the city of Borazjan.

Earlier reports said up to 30 percent of residential buildings in the area were damaged or destroyed.

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