A 5.5-magnitude earthquake has struck southern Iran, killing one person and injuring about 30 others.

Iranian state television said the quake damaged many buildings and electricity lines in the southern province of Hormozgan.

It hit early on January 2 in the town of Bastak, some 1,200 kilometers south of Tehran. Later, several aftershocks were reported in the region.

Iran sits on a series of seismic fault lines and often experiences earthquakes.

In 2003, some 26,000 people were killed by a magnitude-6.6 quake that flattened the southeastern city of Bam.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AP
RFE/RL