The 1957 Farsinaj earthquake struck Hamadan province, Iran on 13 December at 05:15 local time (IRST).

The earthquake left an estimated 15,000 homeless; poor weather conditions including a winter storm on 21 December killed another 20 people.

The Zagros Mountains extends for more than 1,500 km (930 mi); from Turkey to the Gulf of Oman, and through Iran and Iraq.

The Main Recent Fault delineates the northeastern boundary of the Zagros Mountains, forming between 3 and 5 million years ago.

Southwest of the Main Recent Fault lies the continental margin of Arabia while the rocks to the northeast are of metamorphic and volcanic origin.

The Main Recent Fault was also the source of a Ms  7.4 earthquake in 1909 that produced over 40 km (25 mi) of surface rupture.

Its epicenters were instrumentally recorded and located, revealing a northeast—southwest trend intersecting the Main Recent Fault.

Villagers reported a vertical rupture located along the Main Recent Fault resulting in the northeastern side subsiding by 1 m (3 ft 3 in).

Northeast of the fault, devastation extended up to 55 km (34 mi) away, impacting villages such as Farsinaj and Gerareh.

Along this section of the Main Recent Fault, called the Sahneh and Dinevar segments, the structure dips towards the northeast.

[7] Twenty additional deaths and more livestock were lost due to the cold weather including a winter storm on 21 December.

Government properties in the area were double-storey adobe and single-storey brick construction with jack arches or iron sheets as the roofing.

At Dehasiyab, 34 people died and 23 were injured—the village was razed and reconstructed several hundred meters away.

No serious damage or high fatalities occurred within a 15 km (9.3 mi) radius around Farsinaj, and at Sonqor, only cracks appeared in some buildings.

On 31 December, another aftershock killed three at Kangavar and ruined some homes that had been restored following previous shocks.