Earthquake hits Iran’s southern island

An earthquake measuring 4.9 on the Richter scale jolted Iran's southern Hendurabi Island on April 27.

The seismography center affiliated with Tehran University Geophysics Institute registered the quake at 10:43 local time (GMT +4:30 hours), Iran's Fars news agency reported.

The earthquake's epicenter was at a depth of 20 kilometers underground.

There was no immediate report on possible casualties or damage.

Iran sits astride several major faults in the earth's crust and is prone to frequent earthquakes, many of which have been devastating.

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 around 27 towns and 1,870 villages.

/By Trend/