At least one was killed and dozens were wounded in the 5.5-magnitude earthquake which jolted the town of Bastak in Hormuzgan province, Southern Iran, on Thursday. A large number of residential units have been damaged and panic-stricken people have left their homes and stay outdoor.
According to reports, aid workers have already been dispatched to the quake-hit areas.

The Seismological center of Kerman province affiliated to the Geophysics Institute of Tehran University registered the quake at 06:43 hours local time (0313 GMT).

The epicenter of the quake was located in an area located at 54.45 degrees longitude and 27.14 degrees latitude.
Iran sits astride several major faults in the Earthˈs 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 cityˈs 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.

In August 2012, two quakes in Northwestern Iran also claimed the lives of 306 people and injured more than 4500 others.

Report by Islamic Republic News Agency; photos by Abbas Mohammadi, Mehr News Agency