In Brief

Iran Nuclear Plant OK After Quake

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earthquake map
Map of earthquake location today (April 9, 2013) in Iran. (Image credit: USGS.)

A nuclear reactor located near a magnitude-6.3 earthquake that struck Iran today (April 9) is working normally, news sources say.

Three people died in a quake whose epicenter was about 55 miles (89 kilometers) southeast of the Bushehr nuclear plant in southwest Iran, the BBC reported. The earthquake was followed by a series of aftershocks, the largest of which was magnitude 5.4.

However, Fereydoon Hasanvand, the governor of Bushehr province, told Iranian state TV that "No damage at all has been caused."

An official from the Russian firm that built the plant, Atomstroyexport, also said the plant's operation wasn't affected by the quake.

"Personnel continue to work in the normal regime, and radiation levels are fully within the norm," the official told the Russian state news agency Ria.

Shaking from the quake could be felt across the Gulf region.

Follow Tia Ghose on Twitter @tiaghose. Follow LiveScience @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on LiveScience.com.

Tia Ghose
Tia Ghose
Managing Editor

Tia is the managing editor and was previously a senior writer for Live Science. Her work has appeared in Scientific American, Wired.com and other outlets. She holds a master's degree in bioengineering from the University of Washington, a graduate certificate in science writing from UC Santa Cruz and a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. Tia was part of a team at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that published the Empty Cradles series on preterm births, which won multiple awards, including the 2012 Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism.