5.1-magnitude quake jolts town near Iranian capital Tehran

TEHRAN - A 5.1-magnitude earthquake hit Damavand town, 69 km to the east of Iran's capital Tehran, at 00:48 local time Friday (2018 GMT Thursday), according to Iran's Seismological Center.

The epicenter of the earthquake, at the depth of 7 km, is 35.777 degrees north latitude and 52.045 degrees east longitude, the center said.

The tremor caused alarm among some residents in Tehran, who rushed out of their houses in panic.

The swarm of cars on the streets resulted in heavy traffic in the populated areas of the capital.

Also, the speed of internet in Tehran dropped due to an increase in the use of social networks.

The quake was felt in the provinces of Alborz, Qom, Qazvin and Mazandaran in the neighbourhood of Tehran, Iran's Red Crescent Society was quoted by official IRNA news agency as saying.

Five assessment teams of the country's emergency organization have been dispatched to the quake-hit regions, Tasnim news agency reported.

Saeed Taheri, chief of Red Crescent Society of Damavand town, advised local residents to leave their houses and find a safe shelter, Tasnim reported.

No immediate reports are available about the possible casualties or injuries.