TEHRAN - A medium-sized earthquake that struck Quchan in Khorasan Razavi province, inflicted minor damage to historical sites across the northeastern city, Quchan’s tourism chief has announced.

A group of assessors and cultural heritage experts were immediately dispatched to the region after the 5.1 magnitude quake was reported, Javad Rajabi said on Wednesday.

Field investigations have revealed some minor harm and cracks in four historical sites including Karimi Mosque, Soltan Ebrahim Holy Shrine, Museum of Anthropology, and a traditional Yakhchal (ice storage), the official added.

The quake opened up some deep cracks in the walls of the historical monuments, he noted.

Over 50 historical sites, natural sites, and ancient hills in Quchan have been registered on the national heritage list so far, he explained.

The Iranian plateau is located in a very seismically active region of the world and is known not only for its major catastrophic earthquakes but also for the disasters relating to natural hazards, especially earthquakes.

About two percent of the earthquakes of the world occur in Iran but more than six percent of the victims of the world earthquakes during the 20th century are reported from Iranian earthquakes.

ABU/AFM