Alessandro Amato of the INGV said the latest tremor "came out of nowhere", and described it as a classic earthquake for the area - "medium-strong" and "fairly shallow".
More than 1, 500 people were killed again in 1997 when an earthquake struck the Ghaen region, while in Golbaf, astrong quake which had caused 1, 500 deaths in 1981 caused just five in 1991.