At least five killed in a 6.1-magnitude earthquake off the coast of the Gulf of Iran

DUBAI (Reuters) – At least five people were killed and 49 injured in a 6.1-magnitude earthquake that struck southern Iran early on Saturday, state media reported, with the region shortly afterwards by two powerful 6.3-magnitude quakes.

Nearly 24 tremors, two with a magnitude of 6.3 and 6.1 on the Richter scale, followed the earthquake that hit the village of Sayeh Khosh near the Iranian Gulf coast in Hormozgan province at 2 a.m. local time. Officials told state television that the latest earthquake occurred at around 8 am.

“All the victims were killed in the first earthquake and no one was hurt in the next two because people were already outside their homes,” IRNA news agency quoted Fuad Moradzadeh, governor of Bandar Lengeh province, as saying.

Emergency services spokesman Mojtaba Khalidi told state television that half of the 49 injured had been discharged from hospitals.

Officials said search and rescue operations had ended.

Said Pourzadeh of the Kish Island Crisis Task Force said navigation and flights in the Gulf were not affected by the earthquakes.

State television said that 150 earthquakes and tremors hit West Hormozgan during the past month.

Major geological fault lines intersect in Iran, which has suffered several devastating earthquakes in recent years. In 2003, an earthquake measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale in the Kerman province killed 31,000 people and destroyed the ancient city of Bam.

Coverage from the newsroom in Dubai and Mary May Day in Bengaluru; Editing by Chris Reese, Sandra Mahler and Kenneth Maxwell

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