People Flee Homes as Deadly Quakes Strike Southern Iran

Damage caused by a previous earthquake in Iran. Reuters file photo
Damage caused by a previous earthquake in Iran. Reuters file photo
TT

People Flee Homes as Deadly Quakes Strike Southern Iran

Damage caused by a previous earthquake in Iran. Reuters file photo
Damage caused by a previous earthquake in Iran. Reuters file photo

Two strong earthquakes struck southern Iran near the port of Bandar Abbas on Sunday, prompting residents to flee their homes and killing at least one person, state TV reported.

The quakes measured 6.3 and 6.4 magnitude, jolting the province of Hormozgan, state TV said.

"One person died after an electricity pole fell on him," Iranian state TV said, citing local officials.

The report said President Ebrahim Raisi ordered his senior vice-president, Mohammad Mokhber, to visit Hormozgan province as soon as possible.

Raisi also urged all responsible bodies to take care people who suffered injuries and damages.

Iran is crisscrossed by major geological fault lines and has suffered several devastating earthquakes in recent years.

The European Mediterranean Seismological Center put the magnitude of one of the quakes at 6.5 at a relatively shallow depth of 10 km.

"The quake was felt in several southern Iranian cities in Hormozgan province," an official told state TV, adding that rescue teams had been sent to the area.

State TV showed residents in Bandar Abbas fleeing their homes in panic. Iran's state news agency IRNA said there was no structural damage to homes in the area.



Former Brazilian President Bolsonaro Invited to Trump's Inauguration

Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro talks with media upon his arrival at Brasilia International Airport, in Brasilia, Brazil November 25, 2024. REUTERS/Adriano Machado/File Photo
Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro talks with media upon his arrival at Brasilia International Airport, in Brasilia, Brazil November 25, 2024. REUTERS/Adriano Machado/File Photo
TT

Former Brazilian President Bolsonaro Invited to Trump's Inauguration

Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro talks with media upon his arrival at Brasilia International Airport, in Brasilia, Brazil November 25, 2024. REUTERS/Adriano Machado/File Photo
Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro talks with media upon his arrival at Brasilia International Airport, in Brasilia, Brazil November 25, 2024. REUTERS/Adriano Machado/File Photo

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been invited to the inauguration of US President Donald Trump on Jan. 20 and is seeking to obtain the return of his passport, confiscated last year amid a probe into an attempted coup in 2023.

Bolsonaro has been barred from running for political office in Brazil until 2030 and faces criminal charges for allegedly plotting a coup. He denies any wrongdoing.

His passport was retained in February 2024 on the order of a Brazilian Supreme Court judge.

The invitation was confirmed by Bolsonaro on his X account and by his advisor, Fabio Wajngarten, who told Reuters that the former president is willing to go.

On his X account, Bolsonaro expressed his "honor at receiving the invitation". He also said that his lawyer, Paulo Bueno, has already requested Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes release his passport for the trip.

Trump's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.