4.1 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Amol

A 4.1 magnitude earthquake shook the city of Amol in Mazandaran province this afternoon, April 4. According to the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA), citing Ali-Asghar Ahmadi, the director of crisis management in Mazandaran province, the earthquake occurred at 12:11 PM today. The earthquake struck at a depth of ten kilometers, and assessment teams from the district, governor's office, and Red Crescent were immediately dispatched to the area. Additionally, rescue teams have been placed on alert. There is currently no information on casualties or damages from this earthquake. In November 2013, Ataollah Dadashpour, the director of crisis management in Mazandaran province, stated that in just one year, 182 earthquakes ranging from 1 to 4 magnitude had shaken Mazandaran province. The province contains two major faults, the Caspian and northern Alborz, which are 600 kilometers and 400 kilometers long, respectively, and these faults determine the seismic activity of Mazandaran province. Crisis management officials in Mazandaran state that the destructive earthquake cycle in the province occurs every 150 to 200 years. This earthquake coincides with the Nowruz holidays, a time when many people choose to travel to Mazandaran and Amol for their holiday breaks.