An earthquake shook the Tehran area on Saturday, coinciding with initial social media reports of an explosion at a power plant near the city of Karaj.
Iran's Seismological Center reported that a 4.0-magnitude quake struck at a depth of 8 kilometers near Mahdasht, along the border between Alborz and Tehran provinces.
The tremor was felt in parts of both Tehran and Karaj. Posts on social media claimed the explosion occurred at the Montazer Qaem power station near Karaj. So far, these claims have not been confirmed by credible sources, nor have the videos circulating online been verified as relating to that facility.
The opposition outlet "Iran International," which operates outside of Iran, reported receiving numerous accounts from residents in Alborz province, west of Tehran, who said they heard an explosion around 9 p.m., shortly before the earthquake was felt. According to these witnesses, power outages have affected large parts of the region.
At the same time, a large fire broke out at a cardboard factory in Nazarabad, west of Tehran province, on Friday night. Videos received by "Iran International" show large flames and thick plumes of smoke rising from the site. As of now, no casualties have been reported, and the cause of the fire remains unknown.
Iranian authorities have yet to issue any official statements linking the various incidents that occurred in the region overnight.
