Moderate quake hits southern Iran

Tehran, Dec 30 (AP) A magnitude 5.4 earthquake on Monday struck a town in southern Iran, the country's seismology centre reported. The quake jolted for about eight seconds the village of Qale Qazi, which is some 40 kilometers northeast of the major port city, Bandar Abbas.

The temblor's depth was some 20 kilometers. Rescue teams were deployed to investigate possible damages. The village has some 5,000 people, mainly farmers.

Iran is on major seismic faults and experiences one earthquake a day on average. Earlier in November, a magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck northwestern Iran, killing at least five people and injuring over 300 others.

In 2003, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake flattened the historic city of Bam, killing 26,000 people. (AP) SCY