Damaged houses are seen in the earthquake town of Bushehr on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters

The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported that an earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale occurred on Wednesday in Lushehr province, killing 20 people and wounding more than 500. Two villages in the earthquake area were 80% destroyed. An Iranian seismology center said there have been 10 aftershocks. Iranian authorities say the death toll will continue to rise since Iran lies in a zone of big cracks in the earth’s crust. In August, 2012, a 6.2 Richter double earthquake occurred in northwest Iran, killing 300 people and wounding 3,000.