The tremor hit the northwestern Iranian province at a shallow depth of about 10 km early on Friday morning, local time, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).

At least four people fell victim to the calamity, and about 70 have been injured, Press TV reported, citing local officials.

Local emergency services said that the jolts that rattled the area have destroyed several houses, as reported by semi-official IRNA news agency. 

The USGS predicted that the quake is likely to result in “significant casualties,” and that the disaster is “potentially widespread.” 

East Azerbaijan Province, which borders Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, is home to about 4 million people.

Back in August 2012, over 300 were killed and more than 3,000 injured after twin earthquakes with magnitudes of 6.4 and 6.2 rocked the province, leaving behind a trail of destruction.

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