Earthquake strikes southern Iran

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An earthquake has struck southern Iran, with hundreds of people suffering injuries, a state news agency says.

There are no reported deaths but about 100 people needed hospital treatment, the Irna news agency said.

The 4.9-magnitude quake in Bandar Abbas sent people streaming into open spaces and cut power cables in the city.

Iran straddles a major geological fault line, making it prone to tremors. In 2008, seven people were killed in an earthquake in the same region.

On average one earthquake hits the country each day, although most are minor tremors and are often in sparsely populated regions.

The deadliest quake to hit Iran in recent years was in 2003, when 25,000 people died in a 6.7-magnitude quake in Bam.

Bandar Abbas is home to a large oil refinery that serves the Iranian domestic market.