Quake hits southwestern Iran

An earthquake measuring 3.4 on the Richter scale jolted the town of Ghaleh Khajeh in Khuzestan province, Southwestern Iran, on Sunday, Fars news agency reported.

The Seismological center of Khuzestan province affiliated to the Geophysics Institute of Tehran University registered the quake at 05:38 hours local time (0108 GMT).

The epicenter of the quake was located in an area 49.6 degrees in longitude and 32 degrees in latitude.

There are yet no reports on the number of possible casualties or damage to properties by the quake.

Iran sits astride several major faults in the earth's crust, and is prone to frequent earthquakes, many of which have been devastating.

The worst in recent times hit Bam in southeastern Kerman province in December 2003, killing 31,000 people - about a quarter of its population - and destroying the city's ancient mud-built citadel.

The deadliest quake in the country was in June 1990 and measured 7.7 on the Richter scale. About 37,000 people were killed and more than 100,000 injured in the northwestern provinces of Gilan and Zanjan. It devastated 27 towns and about 1,870 villages.

Tehran alone sits on two major fault lines, and the capital's 14 million residents fear a major quake.

The last deadly quake in Iran shook Southern, Southeastern and Eastern parts of the country in December. The Quake which measured 6.5 degrees on the Richter scale killed at least 6 people and wounded 26 more.