Nov 4, 2009, 6:33 PM

Earthquake hits southern Iran, 700 injured

Earthquake hits southern Iran, 700 injured

BANDAR ABBAS, Iran, Nov. 4 (MNA) -- An earthquake struck Iran's southern province of Hormozgan early on Wednesday, injuring about 700 people.

The quake measuring 4.9 on the Richter scale happened at 02:56 local time and damaged houses and electricity lines in the port city of Bandar Abbas, Iranian News Channel reported.

 

The earthquake also shook the Qeshm Island, located a few kilometers off the southern coast of Iran.

 

Last year, a strong earthquake measuring 6.1 in magnitude hit Hormozgan, demolishing nearly 200 villages and killing at least six people.

 

Iran lies on a series of seismic fault lines and has experienced devastating earthquakes -- most notably in December 2003 when a 6.6 magnitude quake devastated the ancient city of Bam in southeast Iran, killing at least 30,000 people.

 

AA/PA

END

MNA

News ID 36732

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