Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes - Global

5.6 Earthquake hits southern Iran.

5.2 Earthquake hits southern Iran.

5.0 Earthquake hits southern Iran.

Numerous 5- Aftershocks also hit southern Iran.

Yesterday's powerful 6.3 earthquake struck close to Iran's only nuclear power station, killing 37 people and injuring 850 as it destroyed homes and devastated two small villages.

The quake totally destroyed one village, but the nearby Bushehr nuclear plant was undamaged. Many houses in rural parts of the province are made of mud bricks, which have been known to crumble easily in quake-prone Iran. Some 700 homes were destroyed. There were around 10,000 people living in villages in the affected area.

Across the Gulf, offices in Qatar and Bahrain were evacuated after the quake, whose epicenter was 89 km (55 miles) southeast of the port of Bushehr. The early afternoon shock was also felt in financial hub Dubai. The Russian company that built the nuclear power station, 18 km (11 miles) south of Bushehr, said the plant was unaffected.