5.3-magnitude quake hits Kerman province in southeastern Iran

22 January 2013, 02:53 (GMT+04:00)

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An earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale has struck Iran's southeastern province of Kerman, but there have been no immediate reports of casualties or damage, Press TV reported.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) said that the tremor hit at 23:19:02 local time (19:49:02 GMT) on Monday.

The epicenter of the quake was located 38 kilometers northeast of the city of Kerman.

The director of the Kerman office of the Red Crescent Society told IRNA that rescue teams have been dispatched to the city of Sirch.

Iran is located on seismic fault lines and is prone to earthquakes. It experiences at least one slight earthquake every day on average.

The deadliest earthquake to hit Iran in recent years happened on December 26, 2003, when a 6.6 magnitude quake struck Bam city and the surrounding areas in Kerman province.

The destructive earthquake left 26,271 people dead and 30,000 injured.