Quake Hits Southern Iran

A 5.3-magnitude earthquake jolted southern Iran today, injuring people and destroying 10 villages.

The quake struck at 9:25 am local time in the Ardakan region of Fars province. It also rattled the historic Shiraz, the largest city in the region. At least five aftershocks occurred after the main quake.

Iran sits across several major fault lines and is prone to frequent quakes. A quake on 21 December in the southeastern province of Kerman had left seven people dead. The deadliest in recent times was a 6.3-magnitude quake that hit the southern city of Bam in December 2003, killing 31,000 people and destroying the city's ancient mud-built citadel.