The 1977 Bob–Tangol earthquake (also known as the Gisk earthquake) struck the Kerman province of Iran on December 19 at 23:34 GMT. The earthquake destroyed homes and left thousands homeless. A maximum Modified Mercalli intensity of VII (Very strong) was evaluated based on damage. Between 584 and 665 people perished while a further 500–1,000 were injured. Casualties from the earthquake was considered moderate due to the sparsely populated area it affected. The earthquake measured Mw 5.9 and struck at a depth of 22.7 km (14.1 mi). It had a strike-slip focal mechanism, which was unusual as the source structure was a thrust fault. It was part of a sequence of strong earthquakes along the 400 km (250 mi) Kuh Banan Fault. Preceded by foreshocks the month before, many residents became wary of a l