Quakes hit southern Iran

Three tremors, the biggest measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale, struck the town of Shahr-Pir in Fars province, Southern Iran, on Wednesday. The Seismological center of Fars province affiliated to the Geophysics Institute of Tehran University registered the quake at 06:22 hours local time (0252 GMT). The epicenter of the quake was located in an area 54.2 degrees in longitude and 28 degrees in latitude. The area was also struck by two aftershocks measuring 3.4 and 4 on the Richter scale at 06:34 (0304GMT) and 06:40 (0310GMT), respectively. 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.